The Quintessential Bodyguard
by The Dark Hood
Summary: He had always been there for them, acting as the big brother they never had. But now, there is something more in the works. A new emotion. And a new want. What will the future hold?
1. The Quintessential Bodyguard

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Prologue:  
****The Quintessential Bodyguard**

The office of Nakano Maruo was dimly lit, with only the desk lamp acting as a source of light. Even with the sun starting to set on the horizon, the man didn't bother to turn any of the other lights on. He quite liked the atmosphere his office had during this time of the day, right before nighttime arrived. Not only that, but through his window he had a perfect view of the sunset every day. Some might find this behavior strange, but the prominent doctor had never been one to care about other's opinions.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. Not anymore.

This brought along the wave of troubling thoughts that had been plaguing him for the better half of this year. No, maybe longer than that. It was hard to say. Not that it mattered all that much really. The problem remained nonetheless.

His daughters' ineptitude toward school. It was such a small problem, and yet so big. Trying to find a solution had been harder than he'd expected, which is why he had decided on unorthodox methods to fix it.

Hopefully it didn't come to bite him in the ass later.

'But just to be sure…...'

There was a knock at his door, making smile. Right on time.

"Come in."

His voice might have been soft, but it carried a lot of weight behind it.

The door opened, and an all too familiar face was revealed to him. At first, it was a face that had annoyed him. It had been silly of him really, but that's how it was. Over the years, that annoyance had transformed into something more…..friendly? The man couldn't describe it well. Abstract thoughts like that were always a challenge for him.

"Hello, sir. You called for me?"

"I did, Uzumaki-kun. I'm glad you were able to answer my summons, despite you arriving earlier today."

Uzumaki Naruto shook his head. At twenty-two years of age, the blond was tall, his hair cut short, and his body well-toned. He was in a long sleeved orange shirt with a jacket vest over it, black jeans, and a pair of dark sneakers. Around his neck was also a pair of headphones, very similar to the ones a certain girl used.

"It's not a problem. Russia was fun and all, but I'm looking forward to a more peaceful setting for a while."

"Oh? Did you not have fun with the tournament? From what I gathered, you managed to win."

"Hahaha, yeah, but my studies have been suffering because of it. I can't let that happen, as you know."

The man hummed. "Mhmm, yes. I recall your promise…...but are you satisfied with simple online courses?"

"It's the best I can manage, given my schedule. That, and…...well, school is just not very fun for me."

And college was no exception.

"Yes, I remember that as well. Your grades…..."

Naruto had the decency to look sheepish. "I'm not failing, but…..I'm not a top student either."

It was the best way to put it without hurting his pride.

The doctor chuckled lightly at this as he turned on his chair to face the blond.

"Yes, you've always been like that. But that's also the reason why I called you over today."

Naruto cocked his head. "Yes?"

"I'm sure you know, but my daughters have not been doing well academically for a rather extended period of time. Worse than you even."

That was an understatement. But Naruto was well aware of this already. Given his position, it was only natural that he did.

"I've tried to hire different tutors for them, including my own assistant," the man explained. "I'm sure you can remember that as well."

Naruto did.

"But none of those options have produced any positive results. That is why I have decided to try an orthodox method this time around."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Someone suggested a boy their age to help them, a student who's at the very top of his grade, and even his school. I was…...hesitant, but after so many failures, I'm willing to try my chances with this idea. At least, until a better option arrives."

Naruto understood the situation well. However…...

"I still don't understand what this has to do with me."

The man smiled a little. "Oh, it's nothing you're not used to, Uzumaki-kun. The girls will be transferring to this new school you see, so that their tutoring sessions can work out for the best. It's a new environment, and a new stranger is entering their lives. I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly."

Naruto scratched his head, shrugging. "If you're asking me to look out after them, then that's no problem. I already promised to do that."

Nothing was going to change that, not after what Naruto owed. That, and he'd promised too.

Maruo seemed pleased by this.

"Good. There are very few people I would trust their lives to." There were only two…..well, one to be honest. And that was the blond before him. "I also want you to keep an eye out for this new tutor. If he fails to bring their grades up, then firing him will be the best solution so that we may look for another person."

The man had always been like this. Calculated and pragmatic. Naruto wouldn't say that he disagreed with the man's actions, but he certainly didn't fully approve either, among many other things. But that didn't matter at the moment.

"I can definitely do that. I was planning on stopping by tomorrow, so all of this works out for me."

"Good. I'm happy I can count on you, Uzumaki-kun."

* * *

That's what he said, but Naruto had been hoping the man would have grown as a father since the last time he'd seen him. That didn't seem to be the case, though. He was still clumsy and awkward as usual, which explained his distance. But underneath that was an overly concerned father. Naruto's presence only proved that.

'Well, it's only been a few months. Progress takes time,' he thought idly as he pulled out his phone, already outside the hospital. It was already dark, with the street lamps switching on. More importantly, Naruto's stomach was rumbling.

He needed food, and fast.

'Hmm, maybe I should check out that restaurant I spotted on my way here. It looked pretty comfy.'

Hopefully the food was good too. He hadn't gotten the chance to eat anything ever since he had arrived back in Japan. And while Russian cuisine wasn't bad, nothing beat good old Japanese dishes.

But that was just him being bias.

With that in mind, he was about to set off for his new destination until his phone started ringing. He brought it back to his face again, to see who the caller was.

He wasn't surprised.

"Nino," he said as he answered the call.

"_Eh, what's up with that tone? Aren't you happy to hear my voice again?"_

"Ha, that's not it at all. I just wasn't expecting you to call so late."

Okay, maybe he had been…..a little bit. The girl was always doing this sort of thing every time he returned from overseas. She had a knack for knowing when he was back somehow.

"_Ebita-san told me that Papa called you to his office today."_

Ah, that man. So he was the leak then.

"_Anyway, that doesn't matter! You have some nerve not calling any of us and telling us that you were back!"_

He could practically feel the girl's glare through the phone. So impressive.

"And by us, you mean you, right?"

"_W-Whatever! My point stands! Or what, did you forget about us already? Was Russia that good of a place?"_

This girl…..

"That's not it at all," Naruto said as he started to walk down the street toward the restaurant. There were still other people around at this hour, probably going for dinner themselves or heading home. "I just got caught up with other stuff. And then your dad called. I was planning on stopping by tomorrow."

"_H'mph, not good enough. You owe m-us, an apology!"_

Oh boy. She was angry, wasn't she? Out of the five, Nino had always been the most sensitive. Naruto had learned this the hard way over the years.

"Fine, fine. I guess I do."

"_Good, you're starting to understand your place."_

Naruto sweatdropped. "Uh, I really don't like the way you phrased that."

"_Not important. Where are you? Did you eat dinner yet?"_

"I just left your dad's office, and no I haven't. I was actually planning on getting dinner right-"

"_Oh, good! Then come pick me up. We can go together."_

"Just you? Weren't you saying that I was supposed to greet _all _of you?"

"_Y-You can do that later! You have to apologize to me first!"_

Naruto almost sighed. He could never understand this girl's logic.

"_Besides, none of them are here right now. Ichika left saying she had some stuff to do earlier, Yotsuba stayed back in school to help some friends, Itsuki is in the library studying, and I have no idea where Miku is."_

"Shouldn't you be studying as well? And how do you not know where Miku is?"

"_I don't know alright! And studying is boring, so I don't want to do it."_

Jeez, no wonder her grades were abysmal. Naruto prayed for their new tutor. He was going to have his hands full.

But as always, Nino and Miku were at odds it seemed. It wasn't that they didn't like each other. Far from it. The two sisters loved one another and genuinely cared for the other, as did the other three. It's just that their personalities often clashed since they were the exact opposite. On that token, Nino was closer to Itsuki, and Miku and Ichika were the other pair, with Yotsuba getting along well with all four.

What troublesome quintuplets.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"_We actually moved recently. I'll text you the new address right away."_

Wait, what? They _moved_? Why the hell had the old man failed to mention that?

'Probably deemed it unimportant since one of them was bound to tell me sooner or later.'

It was just the way the man was. Not that it wasn't annoying.

Naruto sighed.

"Alright. I'll be there whenever then."

"_Urgh, you can at least make it sound a little bit romantic. And what's with the sigh, huh!?"_

So he landed on a Nino-landmine, after all. Nothing new here.

* * *

Nakano Nino, the most fashionable of her sisters. Which was saying a lot since each sister liked to stylized their looks. It was a way to differentiate themselves from the other, down to their different hairstyles and color. Well…..in regards to the last one, Nino was different from the rest.

"It's about time you got here."

The girl in question stood before him now, her long hair flowing behind her. She was dressed in a simple purple dress along with white thigh high socks. Her usual two ribbons were on her head. And of course, just like her sisters, she was a natural beauty. Not that Naruto was focused on that. He'd known her since she was twelve, and she was practically like a little sister to him. That rang true for the other four.

"I think I arrived in a reasonable time," Naruto defended himself. He patted his stomach. "Besides, I'm starving. I don't have my usual strength with me right now."

Nino rolled her eyes. "Always with the same excuse….." She sounded annoyed, but the look on her face said otherwise.

Naruto raised an eyebrow when the girl suddenly ran up to him and engulfed him in a hug.

"I've missed you," she said softly.

Naruto smiled. She was still the same alright. No matter how much time passed, that endearing side of her would never change.

"Hey now, it's only been a few months. You knew I was coming back," he said this while ruffling her hair.

Nino slapped his hand away and stepped back, pouting a little as she did.

"I've told you to stop doing that. I'm not a little girl anymore."

Naruto chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. Old habits, ya know?" He then looked up to the building next to them, whistling. "New place I see. Your dad doesn't hold back."

Nino crossed her arms. "Yeah, we don't get it either. He suddenly had us move over here last week."

Last week, huh. Naruto had a pretty good idea why the man had done so then.

"We can't complain, though." Nino held her head high, smiling. "It's pretty spacious, and all our rooms are next to one another. We got a whole floor to ourselves too!"

Naruto playfully sulked. "Sounds great." His place didn't compare to this, not even close. Although that was mostly by choice. He had a fair amount of money saved up already, but he was never one to go for the lavish lifestyle. Probably because of how he had grown up. His apartment back in the village had been small, but it had been home all the same.

Nino stuck out her tongue before looking away, her cheeks reddening a little. "You can always move in with us. The offer is still in place…."

She had asked him the same thing before he had left for Russia all those months ago. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the gesture. The offer had simply caught him off guard.

His answer was still the same.

"Nah, I'd rather not intrude. And if there are only five rooms, there would be no place for me."

Nino knew of an easy way of solving that, but she was too embarrassed to suggest it.

'Probably too soon anyway….'

But in the off chance Naruto took her up in her offer….

Her cheeks reddened further. 'Bad thoughts, bad thoughts!'

Naruto was left confused by the girl's change in mood. Again, he could never understand her when she got like this.

"Anyway, should we get going?" Naruto turned for the street, looking ready to go. "I'm starving."

Nino instantly latched onto his arm, her cheeks still red. "T-Then let us go."

Naruto raised another eyebrow but didn't question her actions. Besides, there was something else on his mind.

"Wouldn't it be faster if you cooked something for us?"

"Btzz, too boring." Nino shot that idea down. "I haven't been able to go out lately because of some stupid exams, so I want to enjoy myself tonight." There was a twinkle in her eyes. "And this way, it feels more like a date."

A date, huh? She always said the darndest things.

Naruto shot her a smirk. "But exams, huh? Sounds like you worked hard this time around. I'm happy for you."

Nino blushed some more, although the reason why was pretty obvious.

"Don't patronize me. Besides, we still ended up failing anyway….."

She muttered the last part, but Naruto still heard her. He shrugged.

"The fact that you tried is a big improvement in my book. After that, the rest will come easy."

Nino started to pull him along. "Whatever. I don't want to talk about that. This is a date, so let's make it more interesting."

Naruto looked amused by her words but allowed the girl to continue pulling him down the street.

He had no problems indulging her and her 'jokes.'

* * *

"You know, I'm the one who just got back from a long trip. Shouldn't you be the one to treat me?"

"Don't be so barbaric. As a gentleman, you must always treat the lady."

"Right….."

Naruto wasn't buying it, but he didn't complain further as he dug into his meal.

Nino had chosen a simple restaurant for their so-called dinner date, which Naruto was happy with. He wasn't dressed for anything fancy, and he just wanted a quick meal anyway. After such a hectic day, anything else would be tiring.

Nino eyed the eating blond, noticing the pair of headphones on him. "I can't believe you're actually wearing them like Miku."

"Hmm?" Naruto was confused for a moment before realizing what the girl was talking about. "Oh, these." Naruto looked down at the headphones with fondness. "It was a gift from Miku, so of course I'm going to use them. But I'm not trying to start a fashion trend like her. I forgot to take them off after I got back to my apartment. That's how troublesome today has been."

"That tends to happen when you travel out of the country." Nino's eyes started to sparkle. "More importantly, did you win?"

Naruto chuckled. "But of course. I'm not going to lose that easily."

"W-Well, you never know. Karate can be tough, right?"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "It's Mixed Martial Arts. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"It's all the same!"

"No, it isn't. Every form of martial arts has its distinct form. They're art in their own way. Confusing them is only an insult to those who practice them."

"You always get like this when it comes to fighting," Nino commented, smiling. "Not that I don't like it."

What the heck did that mean?

"Just start to remember what it is I do," Naruto said. "Otherwise, I'm going to make you my student again."

Nino paled at the 'threat.' Training under the blond had been tough, torture even. He had put them through hell. Only Yotsuba still asked for training sessions, but that girl wasn't human.

"Alright, don't go throwing that around again! I'll try to pay more attention."

Naruto looked satisfied by her response.

"I think you should focus more on fencing, though," Nino added after taking a sip from her drink. "It's way more attractive."

Naruto was indeed a practitioner of both MMA and fencing. He only did the latter to help him with his meditating sessions. There was more grace to be had with fencing, even though Naruto wasn't big on using a sword.

"Hey, you've never complained when you came to see me fight the last time."

Nino started to blush at the memory. She had enjoyed the fight for different reasons than the blond was thinking. Not that she was going to tell him that. Again, not good timing.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," she said as her blush started to die down. "Those fights are tough, and I've read up on what happens to some of the athletes. It's…..it's not pretty."

Ah. So she was worried about him. How touching.

Naruto smiled at her. "While I appreciate the sentiment, I can take care of myself. Heck, I've been looking out after you five all these years, haven't I?"

That was the role Naruto had fulfilled, acting as their unofficial bodyguard over the years. That stayed true after their mother married their step-father too, only that it became more 'official' since he started to get paid. Naruto had protested, since he didn't need to be paid for something like this. In the end, he had caved, if only to appease the man. That's why the father had so much faith in him. The money had helped him become more independent too, which Naruto was grateful for.

Nino looked down. "Yeah, but you're no longer around as much. You're always traveling, or doing something else. It's kinda lonely."

Naruto frowned at this. He hadn't meant to make it look like he was distancing himself from the sisters. Far from it. He still held them dear to his heart. He cared about them more than anyone else in this world.

"I'm sorry about that, Nino. I didn't mean to make you feel that way."

"You're not tired of us, right?" Her voice was soft but clear.

Naruto reached over and flicked her on the forehead, making her yelp.

"W-What?" Nino rubbed her forehead and glared at Naruto. "What was that for!?"

Naruto shrugged. "For being an idiot."

"Wha-!"

"I'm not 'tired' of you, idiot," Naruto said, quoting her. "You know I care about all of you. That's never going to change. My life is simply a little busy right now."

Nino knew this, but she still wasn't happy with the way things were. Why? Well…..wasn't it obvious?

Naruto could tell she still wasn't happy, so he said, "If it makes you feel better, I won't be going anywhere for sometime."

Nino's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah. I've decided to focus on my studies for a while." Not that it would amount to anything…...probably. He had only graduated high school because he had been made to. A promise was a promise, after all.

Nino looked happy about this. "So you're staying in Japan then?"

"Basically, yeah."

"Mhmm, I'm sure everyone will be glad to hear it!"

Naruto chuckled some more. They probably wouldn't be _this _happy about it, though. Nino's face was the exact opposite of what it had been just a few minutes ago. Now she radiated pure happiness. It was great to know that she cared about him this much.

"This also means I'll get to enjoy your cooking more."

"O-Oh." Nino started to fidget in her seat. "I guess that's true. I know how poor your diet can be when all you eat is ramen."

"Oi." Don't diss the ramen.

"How did someone like you become a professional athlete again?"

Naruto almost reached over to flick her on the forehead again. "I'm not a pro." Not yet at least. "And you're just jealous me and Itsuki can eat like slobs and not gain any weight."

Nino pouted. She didn't deny it, though. Her youngest sister and Naruto were always pigging out but never gained weight. The blond she could understand. He trained a lot. His muscles were proof of that. But her sister? All Itsuki did was yoga in the mornings with her. Hardly enough to compensate for all the food she ate.

Frigging unfair. Why did Itsuki have the good metabolism?

"Whatever." She huffed. "I can cook for you at your place whenever you want, so be grateful."

"Yes, yes."

"Don't sound so dismissive dammit!"

Naruto simply laughed, annoying her further. But underneath that surface level annoyance was also contentment. Having Naruto around was enough for Nino to be happy and at ease. It was simply an effect Naruto had on others, and Nino was no exception.

Except…...that was no longer good enough for her. She wanted more. She had been struggling to come up with some sort of an answer for this dilemma, but now she had a chance. The blond would be sticking around, at least for a few months. That would give her the perfect opportunity she needed to deepen her relationship with him.

Nino licked her lips, her mind filled with what the coming months would bring.

And Naruto was none the wiser.

* * *

**Title sucks. I know. I honestly had nothing for this, so I came up with the first thing that entered my mind. Still sucks.**

**And I know, why am I doing this when I have other stories to worry about? Because fuck romance anime that's why! Stupid thing got me hooked and then made me read the manga. I binged the whole thing in like 2 days.**

**I have a problem.**

**On the upside, this is the first crossover of its kind, so I'll be able to put this in the back burner while I get back to writing my other stories. This will also future shorter chapters. Probably nothing over 5k. This was just my way of finally writing this since it's been on my mind for like a week. Now, I can be at peace.**

**For the few of you who find this, hope you like it. It will be continued, but probably not for a bit. Maybe. My attention span is fickle, so who knows. But like I said before, I'll definitely be updating my other stories first.**

**That said, till next time.**


	2. Declaration of War

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

**AN: I didn't expect this story to blow up as much as it did. As thanks, I decided to gift you with this new chapter this quickly. Don't expect it again.**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

**Chapter 1:  
****Declaration of War**

_Five years into the future, day of the wedding…..._

"Just get it for me, alright?"

Uesugi Fuutarou hung up and placed his phone next to him on the table before the person on the other end had a chance to answer. He then laid his head on the table, a wave of exhaustion hitting him. He couldn't help it. A lot of planning had gone into today, and since he was more responsible than his dear bride, most of the heavy work had gone to him. In movies and fairy tales, it was supposed to be the other way around. But they were always defying expectations, weren't they?

He was still happy with today, though. How couldn't he be? It was the day of his wedding. It almost seemed surreal. After everything that had happened, he was finally here.

It felt…...amazing.

"Someone looks half-dead."

Fuutarou glanced back to the door of the room where a friendly face greeted him.

"Naruto, you're finally here."

The older male shook his head. He was dressed in a simple black and white tuxedo, but it still looked good on him.

"Now that's just rude. I've been here since morning."

"Then why didn't I see you?"

"You were shouting orders left and right that I never even got the chance to say hello. Then you cooped up yourself in here."

True enough, Fuutarou admitted that he might have done something like that…..maybe.

"Nervous?"

Fuutarou scoffed as he turned the other way, his hand going to the good-luck charm on his wrist. It looked worn out, but he still treasured it like when he first got it.

"Nervous? That's not even close enough to describe how I'm feeling right now."

Naruto chuckled at this as he stepped into the room, his hands in his pockets.

"Ah, that's certainly true. I guess I can't blame you for that. The big day always brings jitters."

"Is this how you felt?"

Naruto hummed at the question, thinking about it for a moment. His wedding had been last year, so it was still fresh in his mind. The emotions of that time…..

"Something like that, yeah. I was afraid of not living up to her expectations. That I wasn't good enough." He shrugged while chuckling some more. "Turns out she was thinking the same thing. In the end, I was worrying over nothing. I was just letting my fear get the best of me. But it'll pass. Once you get into the rhythm of things, you'll find that it's easier than you thought."

Fuutarou took those words to heart. It had almost been a year now since Naruto had gotten married, so if he was to take advice from anyone in this situation, then who was better than him? But it was funny. Five years ago, Fuutarou never would have expected for things to turn like this. Turning to Naruto for advice…...it was just funny.

"I get the feeling you just insulted me in your head," Naruto said, shaking his head. "And here I was trying to make you feel better…...the shame."

Fuutarou turned to the blond again. "Stop being melodramatic. I was simply thinking back on things. From before."

"From before?"

"Yeah, how we met." Fuutarou closed his eyes, a small grin forming on his face. "I can still remember that day, when we first met. I thought you were a total idiot…...not that I was wrong about that, mind you."

"You can go to your wedding bruised if that's what you want."

"You wouldn't dare. Not unless you want to be killed later."

Naruto let out a dramatic sigh. "True, true. Your soon-to-be-wife would murder me in the reception…..or probably during the ceremony. You picked a feisty one."

"Like you're one to talk."

Chuckling, Naruto raised his hand where his wedding ring was. "I guess that's true. We're both pretty hopeless, huh?"

But that time…...things were a lot more hectic back then, weren't they? But it was also because of those hectic times that today was possible. So the good outweighed the bad, not that there was much bad to go around.

There was a knock on the door, with one of the coordinators waiting for them.

"Sir, it's almost time."

Fuutarou nodded. "Yes, I understand. Thank you."

Naruto watched the coordinator go before looking at Fuutarou who stood to get his suit jacket from the coat hanger. As he did, Naruto remembered why he had come here in the first place.

"Ah, that's right. Where's the ring?"

Fuutarou paused. Shit.

"I, uh, forgot it."

Naruto nearly went and slapped him. "What the hell! How could you forget the ring of all things? What kind of groom are you!"

"T'ch, leave me alone," he muttered as he put the jacket on. "I already called Raiha. She should be here soon."

"Relying on your cute little sister, even now? Maybe I shouldn't let you get married after all."

"Ha." Fuutarou shot him a grin. "Just try and stop me."

The Fuutarou from five years ago never would have said something like that. Things were certainly different now.

Naruto matched his grin. "Well, I guess I'll just stand there and look pretty then, since I don't have anything else to do now."

"No." Fuutarou patted him on the back as he walked past the blond. "As my best man, you have to provide emotional support."

"Still the scaredy cat."

"Buzz off. Today is an exception."

"I guess that's true."

The two shared a quick laugh before stepping out of the room. They headed for the ceremony, and for the future.

* * *

_Present time….._

It was morning time, and Naruto looked at the small shop before him with nostalgia. Was it right for him to feel this way? It had only been a few months, but it felt longer than that.

'I guess time flies when you're having fun.'

He put those thoughts to the back of his mind as he stepped inside. It was a new day, and with it came new hassles.

'Ah, that sounds like something Shikamaru would say…...'

His lazy friend would probably get a laugh at seeing him now with his new laid-back streak. Naruto missed the troublesome bastard.

"Oh, Naruto-kun! You're back!"

The blond focused back on reality when he was greeted by a man behind the counter of the shop. Okay, 'man' might be too simple of a description. The female wig and lipstick were a dead giveaway of that.

Still, Naruto didn't mind it and smiled. "Hey there, Hayato-san. It's been a while, huh?"

"You can say that again." Naruto was quickly engulfed in a hug by the man who held a long pipe in his hand. "You never even bothered to call either!"

"Hahaha, sorry. Things got hectic in Russia."

"Mhmm, I can only imagine." Hayato stepped back and brought the pipe to his lips. He gave Naruto a once over, taking in the blond's simple hoodie and orange sweats. "Still dressing like a bum? That's so unfortunate, Naruto-kun. You really need a girl in your life."

Naruto laughed some more. "Maybe some day, but I haven't found anyone yet."

With his kind of baggage, trying to find a girl who could accept him would not be easy. Besides, he had other stuff going on in his life right now.

Hayato shook his head. "It's a shame. You have such a nice body too."

"Yeah, you don't have go to that far."

The man waved him off. "Still shy, huh? Well, you'll grow to be more bold one day."

Naruto shook his head, amused. "Probably not as bold as you, Hayato-san."

"Oh my. You flatter me."

This man was quite a character alright.

"H'mph, so the ripper finally graces us with his presence."

"Naruto, what are you doing here?"

Grinning, Naruto turned to the two new voices. From the back room for employees only emerged a pair that Naruto recognized right away. They were dressed in the shop's uniform, as waiters.

"Ken, Asagi. It's good to see you guys again."

Ken, the male of the two, was just as tall as Naruto, if only shorter by a few centimeters. He had messy dark hair and wore a pair of store-bought glasses. His build was smaller than Naruto's, though, but that was to be expected given how rigorous Naruto's training was.

The other, Asagi, had long blonde hair and bright brown eyes, almost caramel. She was thin, and as Ken would put it, "had an ass to die for."

Naruto would rather not repeat that last part.

"So you finally return, huh?" Asagi said with her arms crossed. "Are you here to beg for your job back?"

"No need." Hayato raised his hand from behind the counter. "I've already rehired him."

"Wha-!" Asagi looked taken back. "You always do this, boss! He leaves and then comes back like nothing's happened! There should be some sort of punishment at least!"

Hey now…..

"Hm? But Asagi-chan, didn't you take two months off because of some internship? In fact, you only started working here again last week."

Total verbal annihilation, and delivered so smoothly by the man. There was no refuting that.

"Seems like your fantasy won't come true after all, Asagi," Ken said with a hand on his glasses. "Such a pity. I know how much you were looking forward to seeing Naruto beg and making him lick your feet-"

"Shut up, you perverted moron!"

Naruto sighed as he watched the girl hit the boy on the back of the head. These two hadn't changed at all, huh?

"I called Hayato-san last night about coming in today," Naruto explained. "I do have manners, Asagi."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Could have fooled me."

"You don't have to worry about her, Naruto." Ken spoke again, looking normal as if he hadn't just been hit. "She's a tsundere, as I'm sure you know."

Asagi looked ready to strangle him. "I swear to god, Ken-"

"Alright, that's enough of that, you two." Hayato clapped his hands to get their attention. "It's almost time to open, and you have yet to get this place ready for our dear customers."

"What customers?" Asagi said sarcastically. "Barely anyone comes here."

Naruto sweatdropped. "So that hasn't changed either, huh…..."

How this place remained open with so little business, Naruto had no idea.

Hayato twitched. "Asagi-chan, you're a lot cuter when you don't say things like that."

Like that would stop her.

"Come now, we must show enthusiasm!" Hayato switched back to his happy self. "For the great Reverse café shop!"

Asagi looked at Naruto and Ken. "Who came up with that name again?"

Both of them shrugged, not knowing. They only worked here. How were they to know something like that?

Hayato's shoulders sagged. No one respected him. Maybe he should hire better staff.

* * *

Takami Ken and Asagi Rin. Naruto had been friends with the two of them since their high school years. Their friendship had formed under bizarre circumstances, but that was a story for another time. Even after graduating, they kept close and somehow ended up working in the same shop. But while Naruto was more focused with his future MMA career, Ken and Asagi were full-time college students.

"So you guys have more free time now?"

Asagi nodded as she got the tables ready. "Yeah. Unlike you, Ken and I are going to be graduating this semester."

"So you managed to save a semester, huh?"

"H'mph, it's only natural," Ken said as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "With my abilities, something as weak as college can't hold me back."

Sighing, Naruto pointed at him. "Look. I know you like to pretend you're some special character with magical powers, but can you drop the act while we're working at least? It would save us a lot of time."

Naruto was dressed in the same uniform as them now, and he and Ken were both sweeping the floor.

"You wound me, Naruto." The glasses wearer raised his hand. "This is for my dream. My dream…..to marry a voice actress."

Asagi nearly growled at Ken's proclamation. "How the hell are you smarter than me again?"

While Naruto was a dunce when it came to school, Asagi and Ken were different. They were smart, like _really _smart. Ken especially. Naruto was sure the guy could have skipped a whole year if he wanted to, but he never did for some reason.

"So basically, you're going to become a light novel author?" Naruto questioned, wondering if his friend's dream was still the same or if it'd changed.

Ken started to cackle. "Of course. And after it gets an anime, I will marry the voice actress of my heroine. It's perfect!"

"What if she's already married?"

"That matters very little! Love transcends all! Remember that, Naruto! Ahahahaha!" He then shrugged a little. "But for now, I guess becoming a physicist isn't too bad. It'll pay the bills at least."

Yeah, becoming a physicist was his backup option. How many people got to say that?

Asagi placed a hand on her hips and scowled. "I have to say, that kind of love is pretty messed up if you ask me."

"You're just jealous you've never had a boyfriend-"

"Shut up, you moron!"

Naruto winced when Asagi delivered a powerful wraparound to the young man, with a loud cracking sound echoing throughout the shop when Ken's back made contact with the floor.

'There goes his spine,' Naruto thought with a sigh. Ken was always asking for it, though.

Asagi looked proud of her work as Ken moaned in pain from down on the floor.

"Looks like you've been keeping up with your judo practice," Naruto noted, impressed with the girl's power. "You might be able to make it hard for me now."

Asagi almost scoffed at that. She was no idiot. She already knew she stood no chance against Naruto. The only reason she could throw Ken around like a rag doll despite him being twice her size was because the pervert was weak. He didn't train like Naruto. All he did was watch that crappy anime of his. Or read light novels.

"Asagi-chan, no killing of personnel please," Hayato's voice came from the back somewhere. "I don't want to get sued."

Asagi turned back to the tables. "I don't think that's going to be a problem, sir. After all, a corpse can't sue."

Cruel. Just cruel.

"Damn, those have been getting a lot harder to take," Ken muttered as he tried to stand up.

Naruto helped him while shaking his head. "You really should stop trying to provoke her. Your body is gonna give one of these days."

Ken smirked. "It's no problem for me, Naruto. In fact, I consider it a reward."

So he was going to the dark side then. What a shame.

"You need help. Preferably from a professional."

"Shut up, I don't need to hear that from you," Ken grumbled. "Mister 'I have a harem of 5 high school girls.' Cheating bastard."

It was Naruto who was looking like he wanted to pound the guy into the ground next.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's not like that? They're like sisters to me."

"You never did tell us how you met," Asagi pointed out from where she was cleaning. If she heard Ken's comment about enjoying her attack, she didn't show it. "You said you would tell us one day, and it's been like five years now."

"Does it really matter?"

Ken's face darkened. "If it reveals crucial information that will allow me to destroy your harem, then yes."

"Not a harem! Seriously, get that through your thick skull already!"

"He's not going to stop~" Asagi said in a sing-song voice.

Naruto rolled his eyes. She was siding with him now? What a pair he was stuck with.

"I was asked to look after them, so that's what I'm doing. It's not part of some perverted fantasy, Ken. And-goddammit, don't write that down!"

Out of nowhere, Ken took out a notepad and started scribbling down something. He was always doing this too, saying that Naruto provided him with a lot of material for his future light novel. Needless to say, the Uzumaki was not happy with having his life be part of some perverted novel that his friend was no doubt going to write.

Or was writing. Who knew by this point.

But as he tried to take the note pad from Ken, Naruto was reminded of his conversation with Nino the previous night.

* * *

"_What? Papa did what now?"_

"_He's got another tutor for you. Is that bad?"_

"_Yes, it's bad! And annoying! Very annoying!" Nino scowled as she stomped around him. The two were in a park, as Nino had practically dragged him here after they finished with their meal. She wanted to enjoy a stroll under the stars, or something like that."When will Papa ever learn that we don't need some outsider messing with us?"_

_Messing with them?_

_Naruto waved to her. "I think you're overreacting here."_

_Nino gave him one of her famous side glares. Only Miku could match that cold gaze of hers._

"_You know I'm not. A tutor is not going to help. He's got no business with us."_

"_It's for school, and need I remind you that you all failed your last exams? That's why you're switching schools, right?"_

_Nino clicked her teeth together, her annoyance rising. She hadn't known about the switch until Naruto told her. Honestly, that father of hers was always doing stuff like this without consulting them._

"_It still isn't right!"_

_Naruto sighed. Well, he had sort of expected this reaction from her. Previous tutors had only lasted a couple of weeks before quitting. This was due to a combination of things, but Nino's hostility was certainly one of the factors._

"_You're not going to make this easy, are you?"_

"_What do you think?"_

_Again, Naruto prayed for their new tutor. He was not going to be having an easy time with his job._

"_I promised your dad to supervise this whole thing. Now, if he sucks at the job, that's one thing. But if you try to pull anything sneaky, you and I are going to have a word."_

_Nino knew he was serious too. Naruto knew her well, too well. Trying to pull something over him was nearly impossible by this point. Still….._

"_You're going to take some stranger's side over mine? Seriously?"_

_Oh boy. There it was, another landmine._

_Without a word, Naruto grabbed her wrist and pulled the girl closer to him. This took all the fight out of Nino's face as her face turned beet red._

_Naruto didn't notice this and said, "This isn't about sides, Nino. It's about your future. All of your futures. You can't dwell on the past forever."_

_Nino kept her gaze lowered. She couldn't look at Naruto. Not right now. If she did, those eyes of his would make her back down right away._

"_Don't say that. The past is…..."_

_She still hadn't gotten over it, huh? Well, Naruto had already figured as much. Her hair told him everything he needed to know._

"_You still haven't changed it." Nino froze when she felt Naruto's hand on her hair. It made her spine all tingly. "Even Itsuki's done something with hers. But you've kept it the same. Just like when you were in Kyoto."_

"_That's because it's i-important." She was stuttering. The only time she was this vulnerable was around him. She both hated and loved that fact. "We were the same back then. Now, they're all moving away from me."_

"_You still believe that?"_

"_But it's true!" Finally, she was able to look up at him. She had to fight back her tears. "We're no longer as close as we used to be. That goes for you too! You're always traveling, and-"_

"_You really love them, huh?" Naruto cut her off with a smile. This time, he hugged her. Despite her frustrations, Nino didn't fight it. Naruto's aura was simply too soothing for her to do so. "I told you this before, but if you feel frustrated, then let it out. Tell them."_

"_But you think it's silly," Nino said, her voice muffled by Naruto's chest. Naruto didn't wear cologne, but Nino still thought he smelled good. Almost like the forest._

"_I do, but you're not me," Naruto said in return, unaware of her thoughts. "To me, the five of you were always different. That's why I don't see this as a problem."_

"_Liar. You couldn't tell us apart at first."_

"_That was only for a week! And cut me a break, I was going through a bunch of other stuff at the time."_

_Nino remembered. She didn't know what happened, but her mother had been able to help the blond through whatever had been troubling him at the time. It was after that that they had truly started to bond._

"_You may be quintuplets, but you're still your own self," Naruto explained to her, still hugging her. "That doesn't mean you can't be close. It doesn't mean your sisters don't care about you either. You five share a very strong bond, stronger than anything else I've seen. I don't think you should cheapen it, Nino. Even if you do 'change,' your bond won't."_

_Always with the lectures. It always pissed Nino off how he was able to speak so bluntly. Because when he did, she couldn't complain about her problems._

_So unfair._

"_Being honest, huh," she muttered. "I guess I can do that….."_

_There was a double meaning in there, but it was definitely lost on the blond._

"_Besides." Nino stepped back from the hug and raised her head, looking haughty. "Back then, you told us you loved our hair. Since mine is still the same, I guess that means you love mine the most now, huh?"_

"_Uh….."_

_What was he supposed to say to that?_

_Nino grabbed him by his shirt and brought him down to her eye level, her eyes boring straight into his soul._

"_I'm right, aren't I?"_

_God, how could she be so scary like that? It was like he was staring at death, tempting him to answer incorrectly._

_He wasn't brave enough._

"_Yeah, I love your hair."_

_It wasn't a lie anyway. When he met them five years ago, he had compared their hair to that of his mother's, and since Nino hadn't changed it there was no denying that he preferred Nino's hair the most._

_Nino's face brightened, looking like she had just won the lottery._

"_Alright!" She let him go and turned to skip down the road of the park. She was humming too._

_Naruto just shook his head as he followed after her. Again, he could not understand her sometimes._

* * *

Their 'date' had ended soon after that, with Naruto walking her home. He still wasn't sure of how she was going to behave with this new tutor, but hopefully he got through to her.

'I can't let my guard down, though.'

Nino wasn't the only one to worry about. Itsuki would probably try her best, as would Yotsuba. But Ichika and Miku? Not a chance. They were just as bad as Nino, but for different reasons.

'Really, what troublesome sisters.'

He still smiled. He wouldn't have them any other way.

"Oh, what's this?" Ken was suddenly standing behind him, his face twitching with annoyance. "That carefree smile of yours…...you're thinking about your harem, aren't you?"

Naruto had momentarily forgotten about him and his notepad, but now he was reminded of it. But instead of trying to grab it, Naruto punched him. Right in the gut.

"Oof." The future author fell to the floor with a thud. This probably wasn't the kind of punishment he wanted. Not from Naruto at least.

Asagi on the other hand looked satisfied. "See? Doesn't it feel nice?"

It kinda did.

Hayato simply watched on from behind the counter, shaking his head.

'Kids these days…..'

* * *

Kurobara Girls High School. It was a super famous high school, typically attended by rich families from all over the country. As the name suggested, it was a girls-only high school.

Which is why Naruto felt a bit weird standing by the front gates as he waited for the sisters to exit. All the pointing and giggling from the female students wasn't helping either. Whether it was from his presence or the way he was dressed, he wasn't sure.

'Just ignore it.'

At least work had gone well today. Not many customers had showed up, but that was typical of the shop. Again, Naruto had to wonder how Hayato kept the place afloat. It was almost like a miracle. Maybe the wig and lipstick gave him super powers?

Wouldn't be the strangest thing to happen in his life.

"Naruto-sensei!"

The blond was suddenly tackled by a blur, and the two went tumbling to the ground. Naruto knew that if it wasn't for his built and training, that would have hurt.

Well….it still hurt a little.

"Hehehe, I got you!"

Naruto wasn't surprised to see Yotsuba's wide grin hanging over him, nor was he surprised to find that it was she who had tackled him. Only one person called him 'Naruto-sensei.'

"Do we have to do this every time we see each other?" Naruto said, his voice defeated. He was proud of the girl's physical prowess, but being tackled for a greeting wasn't exactly fun.

"Of course we do!" Yotsuba exclaimed. "How else will I know if I'm closer to beating you!?"

"I don't know, through a sparring match?"

"Too boring!"

Really now…..

"Get off him already, Yotsuba." Nino arrived next, her arms crossed and her eyebrow twitching. She definitely didn't look happy right now.

The two girls were wearing the typical uniform for the school.

"Hehehe, right." Yotsuba did, which allowed Naruto to stand. But then he was tackled again, only not so strongly this time. And it was by two people, not one.

The blond looked down and smiled. "Miku, Itsuki. It's nice to see you guys too."

It was rare to see Miku so expressive, but she always became excited every time he got back from one of his trips overseas.

She looked up at him with a pout. "Nino told us…..how you and her went out yesterday."

"Ah."

He sensed danger.

Itsuki was pouting too. "You didn't invite us."

Crap.

"W-Well, Nino said you guys weren't home, so."

It wasn't his fault dammit!

"But I was," Miku said. "I was in my room."

Naruto quickly looked to Nino who looked away, doing her best to seem innocent.

'You little…...'

She lied to him! The girl had pulled a fast one on him!

"And I could have dropped what I was doing," Itsuki said, her cheeks puffed out. "But I guess you didn't want to see us that badly, huh?"

"T-That's not true, Itsuki! You know that!"

"H'mph." She let go of him and crossed her arms, doing her best 'Nino expression.' It was spot on.

God, they really were sisters, weren't they?

"Hahaha, come now, guys. Don't tease Naruto-kun so much."

The final sister finally arrived on the scene, and it was none other than Ichika. She looked pretty amused, but Naruto could see something else in her eyes. Annoyance, perhaps? Or was it something different?

But why would she be annoyed?

"You shouldn't be so lenient, Ichika," Miku said while giving Nino a light glare. "She did something annoying again."

Ichika put a finger over her lips, almost like a 'shush notion.'

"Yes, but we already discussed that, didn't we?"

So they had their own discussion already? Well, it was sort of expected. They were sisters, after all.

Nino gave Ichika a small glare of her own, recalling last night's events after she had returned from her date with Naruto.

* * *

"_You did what!?"_

"_I went on a date with him," Nino responded so calmly it made the other four pause for a second. She was also texting on her phone, not bothering to look at her sisters as they all gathered in the living room of their apartment._

_Miku had a hand over her head, looking exhausted. "Why are you doing something like this?"_

_Nino lowered her phone and stared at her. "You know why. I love him."_

_That was so straightforward, it left them speechless again._

_Yotsuba poked her fingers together, her cheeks red. "N-Nino, I didn't know you were so honest about these things…..."_

"_We can't stay kids forever, Yotsuba. Besides." Nino smiled. "I've decided to stop beating around the bush."_

_Ichika fell back on the sofa, her eyes going to the ceiling._

'_I had a feeling something like this would happen…..'_

_She, like the others, had been aware of Nino's growing infatuation with the older blond. How could they not? Naruto was basically everything Nino looked for in a guy, even down to the 'bad boy' look he had going on. Although, to Ichika, the whiskers were more cute than anything else._

_Itsuki rubbed her arm, looking a bit out of place. She didn't exactly agree with Nino's actions or her feelings. To her, Naruto was the big brother they never got. She was sure that's all she felt, as did the others. But Nino?_

_Miku was staring back at Nino. "Why are you telling us this anyway?" Yes, she was unhappy that Nino had hogged Naruto for herself tonight, but she knew there was something else going on here._

"_Hmm, I guess nothing escapes your notice," Nino said with a half-smile. "But you're right. I'm telling you this as a form of declaration."_

_Declaration?_

"_Oh, I get it." Ichika started to smile as she turned her gaze back on her sister. It wasn't one of her typical 'big sister' smiles, though. It was a bit more dark. "You're declaring war on us, aren't you?"_

"_War?" Yotsuba tilted her head. "I don't get it?"_

_No one expected her to. She was the most innocent one for a reason._

_Itsuki sighed and closed her eyes. "How stupid. No one else here likes Naruto like that besides you."_

_She expected the others to chime in agreement with her, but there was only silence. This was followed by more silence, at which point she cracked open one of her eyes to look at her sisters. None of them would do the same._

"_What….?"_

_What was going on here?_

_Having already expected this, Nino stood up and made for her room. But not before she left them some parting words._

"_I'll be serious from now on. I'll be making Naruto mine. The rest of you can do what you want."_

_Itsuki watched her sister go up the stairs and disappear into her room._

'_Nino…..'_

_She was definitely serious about this._

"_Ah!" Yotsuba suddenly stood up and laughed rather loudly and awkwardly. "I just remembered there's something I have to get at the store! I'll be right back!"_

_She ran out of the apartment, looking like she was about to burst in flames if she stayed any longer. Obviously it was a lie. She was a terrible liar. She just needed an excuse to leave._

_Still smiling, Ichika stood up next. "Well, our dear sister has left us with a rather nasty surprise. I wonder what's going to happen next?"_

_Itsuki could only frown while Miku remained quiet. While Yotsuba was easy to read, Ichika and Miku were different. Their faces were harder to crack._

_Simply put…..Itsuki had no idea what was going on anymore!_

* * *

The night had ended up rather tense, and it carried over to their breakfast. Itsuki had tried to patch things up, but there was a clear rift between Nino, Ichika, and Miku. Yotsuba was acting like her usual self, but Itsuki suspected that was just a front. In short, this was a rather bothersome situation they were now in.

And of course, the cause to all this, Naruto, hadn't the faintest idea about any of this. He was simply glad to be able to see them again.

"Are you guys free for today?"

"Of course, Naruto-sensei!" Yotsuba gave him a proud salute. "Since we knew you were back, we made sure to clear our schedule!"

"We have a lot of stuff to catch up on, right?" Itsuki said, smiling softly. She would have to put Nino's confession in the back of her mind for now. "It's been almost five months since we were together."

Five months. That was longer than he remembered, Naruto admitted. But again, time flew when you were having fun.

"We're going out, right?" Nino was latching on to his arm again, pressing her body up against his. This got a curious look from Naruto. "Where to?"

"Uh-"

"Oho, I think you're making him uncomfortable there, Nino." Ichika was suddenly on Naruto's other side, grabbing his harm as well. "You should give him so space."

Nino's eyebrow twitched. "I think you should speak for yourself, Ichika."

The two settled to glaring at one another, while Naruto looked at the two in bewilderment.

"Yikes." Yotsuba was not looking to get involved in that. Even she wasn't that tough. She was still a little surprised. She didn't expect for Ichika to be this direct either.

Miku was shaking her head as she looked away, noticing that the other students were shooting curious glances their way. This was going to be a topic of discussion for sure.

'We'll be leaving soon anyway, so it doesn't matter.'

Besides, this place sucked.

Itsuki was left to try and play peacemaker, but she wasn't doing a very good job at it as Nino and Ichika had devolved to sticking out their tongues to mock the other.

The savagery.

Naruto was still confused, but he knew one thing. Something had _definitely _happened!

'Now I just need to figure out what it was…...'

Based on this alone, it was clear that making Naruto look at her as a woman and not just as a sister figure was going to be a long road for Nino.

But was she the only one on this path?

The battlefield known as love was here.

* * *

**I need to explain some stuff that I didn't get to last time.**

**Yes, this Naruto is the Naruto from Konoha, and the war and all that. But that should be clear by this point. Naturally, his past, how he got here, all of that will be explained eventually. Funny enough, someone did the math to figure that out. Kudos to you.**

**As of now, only Nino's and Itsuki's intentions are clear….well, sort of. Nino is definitely in love with Naruto, and you might guess one other. But the rest will be unclear, especially when Fuutarou enters the picture. I'm building my own mystery if you will. How this turns out will be different from canon since we still have no idea who the bride is. Honestly, I've seen good theories on all the girls. Heck, there's a good theory based on the harem end as well. So I'll be doing what's most entertaining for me.**

**On a side note, I am rooting for someone (aka, I have a best girl). But I'll be keeping that to myself. Although I would be happy with a harem end too, unlikely as it is.**

**I think that's about it. If I missed anything, I'll get to it next chapter.**

**That's all from me. Hope you enjoyed this gift. Don't expect it again. (I was already writing the next chapters for two different stories before I decided to do this).**

**Till next time.**


	3. Are Feelings Easy?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 2:  
****Are Feelings Easy?**

Nino was in love. That was an undeniable fact at this point in her life. She knew this. She had known this for a long time. Even so, that simple fact was more than enough to make her heart want to burst from her chest every time it crossed her mind, followed by a rush of emotions flowing through her.

She was in love.

But how had it happened? When? And why Naruto of all people?

Truth is, Nino had no simple answer for any of those questions. It was known by her sisters that she had a certain type, and while Naruto certainly looked like a 'bad boy,' he was the furthest thing from. He was a dork, a simple guy….but he definitely had a cool side. Nino had seen it many times during his matches, be it either MMA or fencing. He was strong, and very good looking. They were all positive qualities in her mind. However, that wasn't why she had fallen for him.

It all started back then. Five years ago, during their family trip to Kyoto. Nino could still remember that day, when her mother had suddenly brought a stranger to their hotel. He was battered, in strange clothing, and most of all unconscious. It was almost like he had been fighting in a battlefield or something.

That stranger was of course Naruto. Her mother and soon-to-be step-father were already dating at the time, and it looked serious. It was thanks to that that Naruto had been able to get medical treatment so easily. Otherwise, her mother would have never been able to afford it. Later on, Nino had overheard that he hadn't needed it. Miraculously, there hadn't been a single wound on him, despite looking the way he had. It only made her more curious.

Her sisters had been curious about the blond as well. At that time, Ichika had been the ring leader among them. Under her instructions, they had snuck into the hospital to meet this stranger. Unfortunately, they had failed to do so that day as their mother had already been there, as was their future step-father. Naruto had been awake, and a conversation had taken place. They weren't able to hear any details, but there had been some shouting.

After that…..nothing. Naruto was released from the hospital, with their mother taking him seemingly out of pity, or maybe she did care. Nino couldn't be sure. Either way, the five of them were able to meet him at last….but it had been underwhelming to say the least. Naruto looked to be mentally dead. There had been no life in his eyes. It had honestly scared Nino and the others.

Naruto had remained in that mental state for a week. After that, something else had taken place. Nino didn't know what, only that her mother had been involved. It was the darndest thing too. They had been together for breakfast one morning, and Yotsuba had done something silly as usual. Nino couldn't remember what it was exactly. It didn't matter really. It's what happened after that that was still in her mind even to this day.

Naruto….smiled. He just….smiled. It came out of nowhere. Suddenly, there was life in his eyes. And he…smiled.

_He smiled_.

His smile had been so bright that Nino had felt herself blush for no apparent reason. She was only twelve back then, so she didn't have the mental maturity to know what had happened. But now, Nino was certain she knew. She might have fallen for Naruto then. It was silly, but it was the truth. His smile had gotten her.

His presence after her mother's death only solidified those feelings. Her father had taken a step back, keeping his distance from her and her sisters. It was almost like he didn't know how to act around them. He busied himself with his work. Nino had felt hurt by this, especially as it was at the same time that someone as important as her mother had been taken from her by some illness. Once again, Naruto had comforted her, telling her that it was just her father being clumsy and unable to express his feelings properly. It was moments like that that Nino treasured the most.

Five years had already gone by since that day. In that time, Nino had come to be sure of what she felt towards Naruto. It was love, simple as that. Her first love, if she was honest. No one else came close. He had everything she wanted. She had no idea how the others had come to view the blond, if they only felt familial love or if it went deeper like with her. They were all her potential rivals, and that included Itsuki.

But it was just as she had said before. Nino wasn't looking to lose. Even if she was going up against her sisters, she wasn't going to let anyone else have Naruto. It went against their oath, but in this instance, Nino didn't mind being selfish.

It was her taking her first step toward her new self.

* * *

"You wanted to talk to me, Ichika?"

Ichika stood before one of the most important people in her life, that being of course Naruto. The two were out on the veranda of the apartment, alone in the night.

It had been a fun day for Ichika. More fun than she had had in months. But that was sort of the norm whenever Naruto was around. His presence was enough to light up the world around her.

"Yeah, it's important."

Naruto gave her his full attention. The others were back inside the apartment. He was sure they were curious as to why Ichika had called him out here, but they were respectful enough to not intrude.

Maybe. He had to wonder about Nino sometimes…

"It didn't feel right telling you over the phone, or email," Ichika said to him, her face bright. It was the expression she typically wore, but this one was real. It was totally different from the mask she put on in front of other people.

"Is this about your failing grades?"

Ichika pouted. "Mooooou, don't be so insensitive, Naruto-kun. When a girl tells you that she has something important to say, you don't bring up a sore topic like that."

"Ah, sorry." He wasn't really. But he knew Ichika liked to tease people this way, almost toying with them. Since Naruto preferred to be upfront, it created a unique dynamic between them. Yotsuba always liked to joke that they were like yin and yang, whatever that meant. Naruto chalked it up to Yotsuba just being Yotsuba.

"No, you're not. You still can't be delicate." She shook her head, her expression that of a doting sister talking down to her younger brother. "At this rate, you'll never be able to find a girlfriend~"

This again.

Naruto flicked her forehead, and, just like Nino before, Ichika yelped in surprise.

"Cut the 'big sister' act when you're with me. You know it doesn't work."

In fact, it was the other way around. Naruto was the older sibling here.

Ichika's cheeks turned puffy as she rubbed her now red forehead. "That's just mean, Naruto-kun. You shouldn't do that to a lady."

But that was the core issue, wasn't it? Ichika knew, as did Nino and even the others. Naruto didn't see them as members of the opposite sex. They were just family, nothing more. That had worked fine all these years. But now….

"You know I don't like drawn out conversations," Naruto said, snapping her back to reality. "Especially if it's something serious."

Ichika pouted again as she faced the other way, giving her back to the blond.

"So boring. You should let me indulge in my fantasies even for a little bit. That's what a classy gentleman would do."

Yes, but when had Naruto ever considered himself classy? Never, that's when.

"Ichika….."

The girl's face turned sheepish. She knew that tone.

"Fine, fine. No more teasing." She faced him again. "I think I mentioned it before you left, about my future."

Had she? Naruto couldn't remember well. Not that it hadn't been on his mind. None of the sisters had a clear goal in mind for their future, what they wanted to do. Nino had mentioned opening a restaurant in the past, but he didn't know if she still felt the same way.

With puffy cheeks, Ichika walked up to him and started pinching the blond on the cheek. It was Naruto who was yelping this time around.

"Ow, ow, ow. What are you doing!?"

"You don't remember, do you!?"

Crap. She caught him.

"W-Well, you weren't very clear, and-"

She pinched him harder, so much so his cheek was turning red.

"Ow, alright! I admit it, I don't remember! And I apologize okay! That hurts!" That's what he wanted to say, but it came out as gibberish thanks to the molestation his cheek was going through.

Thankfully, Ichika still understood him and let him go. She was still pouting.

"How insensitive. And it took a lot of me to share that with you."

Rubbing his sore cheek, Naruto looked at her with clear confusion. "If it was that important, I'm sure I would remember."

"Do you want me to hurt you again?"

"Alright, sheesh! Calm down! Don't resort to violence." Naruto grumbled. "First Nino and now you. Have you all turned more violent since I left?"

Ichika giggled. "You flatter me."

"….it wasn't a compliment."

Ichika shrugged it off. "It should be. It's the least you can do for forgetting something so important."

Naruto sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "Can you just tell me? Otherwise, I'm going to say something stupid again and my cheek can't take anymore of this punishment."

Ichika decided to take some sympathy on him.

"I'm an actress now."

Silence followed her declaration, with Naruto staring at the shorter girl with a blank look. It made Ichika squirm in embarrassment and anticipation. What would he say to this? She was anxious, very anxious. She always felt this weak in front of Naruto's eyes, but at night they became more intense. It was like she was staring at a deep sea that could engulf her at any second.

It was mesmerizing.

She couldn't take the silence, though, so she stuttered out, "W-Well, I'm not an actress _yet_. I've only gotten small roles so far, nothing to brag about. B-But I'm working hard to become better at it. S-So….um….."

Dammit, she was blanking out. Why wasn't he saying anything!? Even if it was disapproval, she would take it over the silence.

Finally, she got her wish as Naruto spoke again.

"You….you were worried about telling me that?"

Ichika scratched her cheek, blushing. "I wouldn't say I was _worried_, more like…..scared? I haven't even told the others yet! So I guess…..."

She wanted him to approve. That's why she had come to him all those months ago when he was preparing to leave for Russia. She didn't want to feel like she was letting him down. It was stupid, really stupid. Trying to get her father's approval hadn't crossed her mind. But Naruto….that was a different story. While she was waiting until she was more well known before she told her sisters, she couldn't do the same with Naruto. If he didn't agree with her choice, then there was no way she could continue it.

Naruto seemed to understand what she was getting at, which only made him frustrated.

With himself.

"I'm sorry."

Out of all the things she was expecting Naruto to say, this was not it.

"You're sorry?" The tables had turned. Ichika was the confused one now.

"Yeah." Naruto's hand went to her head. "I don't understand what made you want to choose acting, but it's clearly important to you. I shouldn't have forgotten it so easily." A wide grin made its way to his face. "You're the only one who's showed initiative and has some idea of what she wants. I'm proud of you."

It was strange really. Ichika received compliments from many people on a daily basis, but it was only when they came from Naruto that she got tongue-tied like this. Her "big sister persona" took massive hits every time too, much to her displeasure.

She stepped back and tried to hide her face from him. "I-I'm surprised. You know a word like initiative, huh~"

"Oi….." Naruto didn't know if he should be insulted by that low blow or depressed that his words of encouragement had been for nothing.

"But it is true, that you owe me one now."

Naruto stared at her, while Ichika still didn't look at him directly. "How does that work?"

"Ah, still so insensitive."

She was going to hang that over his head, wasn't she?

"You forgot about something so important, so of course you have to make it up to me." She started trembling. "Otherwise, this big sister won't be able to recover. I might even flunk from school!"

Always one for hysterics, huh? Naruto could see right through her act, but he didn't mind it. It was much better than before, from when she tried to put up fake smiles at every turn. He hated that more than anything.

"Alright, you got me. I guess I walked myself into that one."

Naruto couldn't see it, but a large grin was plastered on Ichika's face now. It was by no means a direct approach, but she still got what she wanted in the end.

'I need to stop Nino, somehow….'

_Somehow_.

"So what do you want?" Naruto hoped it wasn't anything _too _expensive. His savings couldn't take a hit now.

'But then again, the prize money should last me for a while….'

And he was working again. His income was more than stable at the moment.

Ichika turned to him, doing her best to not seem overly-excited. "Now that you mention it, there is-"

"What's taking you so long?" Nino joined them on the veranda, her face that of a young woman who was not happy.

"Oh, Nino." While Naruto didn't look troubled by her presence, the same couldn't be said for Ichika who had to hide her annoyance. "It's nothing big really. Ichika was just about to-"

"Oho, we can discuss that later, Naruto-kun." Ichika cut him off with a wave of her hand, doing her best to look cheerful. "There is no reason to bother the others with this, right? It's just between you and me….."

Nino frowned. She didn't like that phrasing at all, and she made sure Ichika was aware of that as she glared at her. Ichika simply smiled, not showing her true emotions behind her mask.

Naruto was left to look on between them again, once again confused.

'This is weird. Ichika and Nino have never been this hostile before…..'

Hostile might be a strong word, but Naruto felt it was appropriate. Ichika was always doing her best to be the leader of the five even though it might not seem like it. Naruto still considered her the den mother of sorts. And Nino was…

'Is this about what happened yesterday?'

Was Nino feeling resentful toward her sisters still? It's the only explanation he could come up with.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case here. But maybe his dense nature was a blessing here. To Ichika, it certainly was.

Not to Nino, though, who was already planning on fixing that as soon as possible.

It was war, after all.

* * *

"You can practically see lightning coming out of their eyes," Yotsuba narrated as she watched the proceedings outside from the couch.

Itsuki and Miku were with her, the former reading a book while the latter was simply waiting for the three outside to return.

"You shouldn't spy on other people's conversations," Itsuki lectured her, not taking her eyes from her book.

"But, but! This is big stuff! Ichika and Nino are going head-to-head!" Yotsuba exclaimed. She looked like a little kid who was enjoying her present for Christmas.

Miku raised a delicate eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Eh? Isn't Ichika going after Naruto-sensei too?"

Itsuki spluttered. "W-What? Don't be absurd!" She shut her book. "Only Nino has those stupid fantasies!"

Stupid fantasies?

"You don't approve." Miku's statement caused Itsuki to stop and think for a moment.

"Yes…..it just isn't right." Itsuki was sure of this. Why? Because Naruto was a brother to them. He felt the same way too, treating them like sisters. So something like this…...

"W-Well, I don't really get it all that much," Yotsuba admitted, blushing a bit. "B-But Nino seems sure of it! So I think we should support her!"

"Is that what you really want?" Miku asked her, her eyes boring straight into her.

"W-What?"

Miku continued to stare at her. "I know you've always been kind, but this time it's different. If you don't act, you'll lose."

Miku knew she had no right to talk. After all, she was doing the same thing she was criticizing Yotsuba for. But she had to! It was for her sisters, for their bond.

'But Nino has already disregarded it…..'

That voice in the back of her head nagged at her, pointing to the obvious. Still, just because Nino was being selfish, it did not mean that she could too.

'Then why are you trying to encourage Yotsuba? Is it so that you can have another excuse to act?'

…..

"I-I don't know what you're t-talking about, Miku. Ahahaha…..!" There it was again. Miku saw right through the laugh, but she didn't push it further. She couldn't, not if she wanted to bring her own insecurities forward as well.

Itsuki was left looking between the two, her hands balled up into fists. Why was she the only sensible one here? It didn't make sense at all!

When Naruto returned inside, he found that the situation in the living room wasn't all that better from out there. There was definite hostility in the air, but he couldn't understand why. It didn't deal with just one of the quintuplets either, but all of them.

He was going to have to solve this mystery on his own it seemed. There was only one big problem.

He didn't know how.

Yet.

* * *

Even though Naruto had only spent two years in high school before graduating, he had come to face the same mundane problems as other teenagers during that time. Such as a distaste for Mondays, or the love of a good Saturday morning when you can just sleep in like the lazy bastard that you are. That last part was important, because it so happened to be one of the blond's favorite past times back in high school. With work and looking after the quintuplets on top of his school work, it was rare for him to get a Saturday off. That's why it became really special to him.

It was no exception now.

That's why Naruto laid in the living room of his apartment, if it could even be called that, with books scattered everywhere. He had been up late last night with his assignments. As he had arrived back in Japan later than he'd expected, he was a bit behind on his school work. That's why he had spent so much time trying to catch up. It wasn't easy, but he had gotten used to it by now. With his hectic schedule, it was only natural that he did. That's why he could keep at it, even though he was dying on the inside.

Why did he have to make such a promise again? Oh, right. Because he cared. Damn heart.

Unfortunately for the blond, he couldn't get the sleep he wanted as he was forcibly awaken to the sound of someone opening the door to his apartment. He might have gotten stuck in this world with no chakra, but Naruto had made sure to keep his senses as sharp as always. Which is why he was already sitting up when the door was fully opened, revealing none other than Nino.

Naruto relaxed. "Oh, it's you."

He fought back a yawn as Nino stepped into the apartment. Unlike hers, it was nowhere near as big. Or fancy. When you stepped inside, to the immediate right was the kitchen, with the living room facing the door. The living room had a small round table, which was where he fell asleep under. There was also a bookcase by the wall. Facing the kitchen was the single bedroom, as well as the bathroom that was connected to it. Definitely small. But it was comfortable, and that's all Naruto asked for.

Nino took a quick glance around the apartment. She was in a sleeveless form-fitting white blouse, a black skirt that stopped well above her knees, her usual white thigh-high socks, a pair of black high heel pump shoes, and her favored ribbons. She was definitely more dressed up than Naruto was, who wore a simple pair of sweat pants and undershirt.

The girl scrunched up her nose. "This place is a mess."

Yes, yes it was. Not his fault, though.

…...okay, maybe it was. But still.

"You know, when I gave you a key to my place, it was with the intent that you only use it for emergencies."

Nino ignored him as she took her shoes off. "Are you only just getting awake?"

"Yeah." He checked his phone. Nine in the morning, so he'd gotten a good four hours of sleep. "Why are you up this early?"

"I wanted to check up on you, see how you were doing." Nino trailed off for a moment. "I mean, yesterday was….."

She had acted more harshly than she'd expected, but she couldn't help it. She was sure that Ichika was trying to do something. It was surprising, considering how Ichika wasn't the type to be so upfront. Which is why Nino didn't want to be outdone by her. Or any of the others.

Naruto remembered. "If there's something going on between you girls, you know you can tell me."

Nino wished she could, but not yet…...she needed to lay some groundwork first.

"I'm guessing you haven't had breakfast yet?"

So she was going to avoid his question. Naruto held back a sigh. As usual, Nino didn't make things easy for him.

"No, I haven't. I just woke up." He stretched out his arms and back, feeling a satisfying 'pop' in the back. Glorious.

Nino smiled. "Good. Then I guess you can enjoy my cooking early."

Oh? Naruto was really happy with that. Good thing he had made sure to stock up his fridge yesterday.

"I'm also going to clean this place up." A look of dissatisfaction flashed on her face. "It's almost as bad as Ichika's room."

Hey now. He wasn't _that _bad. But compared to Nino's tidy nature, it might as well be. She and Yotsuba were clean freaks like that, Yotsuba more so. With Nino, it wasn't all that surprising as she always made sure to take care of her appearance. Yotsuba's cleanliness was more shocking, but hey.

"I don't want to bother you with stuff like that."

"It's not, don't worry." Nino pulled him up to his feet. "Just go take a shower. You stink."

"Now that's just rude."

Nino smiled. "Honesty is key~"

Yes, but too much honesty could be hurtful!

"Ah, wait." Naruto was walking to his bedroom when the girl suddenly stopped him. "Give me your clothes. The laundry room is still downstairs, right?"

It was. The apartment complex offered its own laundry services, another reason Naruto liked this place. It came with many great perks like that without costing as much. But the fact Nino knew that showed just how many times she had done this for him. Naruto would object, but he knew what she'd said.

"_It's no problem at all."_

That's how it's always been.

He began to take off his shirt, never noticing the way Nino's face lit up when she saw his chest. So maybe her reasons for doing this weren't all so innocent. Sue her. She always liked Naruto's muscles the best. He wasn't so buffed that it was off putting like most bodybuilders, but he still had his noticeable definition. It almost made her want to touch-

'Bad thoughts, bad thoughts!'

By the time Naruto had his shirt off, Nino was already masking her embarrassment. Ah, if only he could read her mind right now.

If only.

* * *

By the time Naruto was out of the shower and dressed in fresh clothes, Nino was almost finished preparing breakfast for them. The smell was enough to entice the blond. He found Nino's cooking to be the best in this world, and that was probably never going to change.

Now dressed in a stripe red, blue, and white long sleeved shirt and yellow jeans, he waited for Nino to finish with her cooking as he sat at the table again. The apartment already looked more tidy than before, no doubt thanks to Nino's cleaning.

'She's going to make a great wife one day.'

No doubt about that.

The breakfast came soon, with Nino placing a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of him.

"Went western today I see." Not that he was complaining.

Nino gave him a dry stare as she sat on the other side of the table, sitting crisscross just like the blond. "You don't have much else in your fridge other than the ramen cups I found."

Which is probably what he would have eaten if Nino hadn't showed up.

"You know I can't cook as well as you," Naruto shot back as he prepared to eat his meal.

"At least you're not as bad as Miku."

Yeah. Thankfully. Naruto loved the girl, but she could not cook to save her life.

"Thanks for the meal."

The two began to eat in a comfortable silence, with Nino looking pleased with herself as Naruto smiled widely when he took his first bite.

Another victory for her.

Nino was here with a purpose, though. She didn't like to beat around the bush, so she was going to make sure the blond became aware of her feelings as soon as possible. To do that, though, she was going to have to change his image of her. That she was no longer a little girl, that their bond could be something more than familial.

But how to approach the subject. That was the delicate part. Maybe she should just be upfront? No, that could scare him off. But did that matter? If she wanted Naruto to be aware of her feelings, then simply telling him was the best and simplest solution, consequences be damned.

'I say I wanna be honest, but here I am debating this…...'

How annoying.

In the end, she was saved by Naruto's timing as he took another bite from his plate with vigor.

"Man, this is great. You're definitely going to make some guy happy one day."

It was an off-hand comment really. Not something Naruto meant to have much meaning. After all, he'd been pretty protective of them in the past when guys tried to ask them out. Not that he had to, as Nino could look out for herself. So could the others, not that they had as much admirers as hers. Ichika was probably the only exception.

Point being, this off-hand comment was exactly what Nino needed to start things off.

"Really? You wouldn't mind seeing me date a guy?"

Naruto paused mid-bite at the question. For whatever reason, alarm bells started ringing in his head. But why? He usually had a good feeling when he had done something to annoy one of the sisters, but this was different as he had no idea why he felt like he should be cautious here.

"Should I be?" He fired back another question at her.

Unlike him, Nino didn't seem troubled at all as she looked at him. "Well, you only see me as a little girl, like a sister, so it shouldn't."

Right…..?

Naruto blinked, his head still trying to wrap itself around this weird development in their conversation.

"Well, yeah-"

"But is that really it?"

"I don't-"

Nino licked her lips as they suddenly felt dry. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Naruto. You know that right?"

The blond was started to get frustrated with this conversation. "_Obviously_-"

"But is that all you see me as? We don't have to _just _be like brother and sister."

Whatever frustrations the blond may have had died at that statement. He was still confused, but beyond that confusion a ray of understanding began to shine down upon him. Surely Nino couldn't be implying…...

The girl suddenly moved around the table, crawling on her hands and knees to where he sat. She started to get a little bit too close for comfort, but Naruto found himself unable to move. For it was the first time that he started to see Nino not as a sister figure, but as the young woman she proclaimed herself as. The _very beautiful young woman_, who now had her face so close to his that he could practically smell her.

And Nino, she just looked at him with those eyes of hers, now shimmering with something. It took a second for Naruto realize what it was.

Desire.

Nino inched closer. "Tell me. Is family all we can be?"

Naruto was tongue-tied, his throat dry at the implications her question raised.

But…..it couldn't be. It just couldn't.

….but could it?

Now faced with this situation, Naruto felt lost. Completely lost. But if there was one thing he and Nino shared, it was their decisive nature. So even though he felt lost and confused, an answer did pop inside his mind.

And it was not the answer he had been expecting to find.

* * *

**Oh, Nino. You're so bold, girl. Basically, the first big move has been made. And not surprisingly, it was made by Nino. Same girl who offered to wash Fuutarou's back like it was nothing. So bold.**

**Who shall follow her example next?**

**That's all from me. I have no idea why this story got this popular, but I am happy with the feedback. Hopefully I don't disappoint.**

**And to the guy calling himself Hachiman, don't worry. I never delete reviews. So you don't have to use that as a bargaining chip. And while your accusation that I'm somehow "tainting" the original canon does piss me off, you're free to think as you like. I'm doing this for fun, that's all.**

**To everyone else, stay classy.**

**Till next time.**


	4. It's Not Complicated

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

**AN: For those wondering, Naruto's work uniform is basically what you see in the story picture…..or whatever you call it. Minus the miniature Kurama. Someone asked about that too, so I'll be upfront and say that Kurama will not be taking part in this story. Now, I like the grumpy old fox as much as the next guy. Heck, after Naruto and Sasuke (yes, you can like both of them), he's my favorite character in the show. But in a story of simple romance like this, a character like him would only drag it down.**

**I apologize to those who wanted him.**

**On to the good stuff now.**

* * *

**Chapter 3:  
****It's Not Complicated**

There were a thousand thoughts racing through Naruto's head right about now. Ranging from "what the hell is happening?" to "has Nino's chest always been that big?" and anything in between. That second question in particular only made things worse for him. He wasn't a pervert, but..._they were big_.

Yeah, this was not a good situation to be in.

"You're nervous."

Naruto swallowed the lump that had been building in the back of his throat. And when did it get so hot in here!? Maybe wearing a long-sleeved shirt today was a terrible idea.

"What gave you that idea…...?"

Why did his voice sound so weak!?

Nino didn't seem to mind this at all, simply staring right at him. She didn't flinch or anything. She just inched her face closer to his.

"Have you never thought about it before? About me? About _us_?"

How the hell did he answer that?

"Have you ever loved anyone before?"

So many questions.

"Of course I have-!"

"Not as friends. But the other kind of love."

Naruto's eyes did a quick scan of the room. He was still in his apartment, right? This wasn't some kind of weird dream he was having, right? No, of course not. That would be too easy.

"Answer me." Nino wasn't letting him escape, and she made this clear when she grabbed his face with her hands. Her very soft hands. Their noses were practically touching by this point.

"I….." The words died in his throat.

Love. Naruto had considered that before, a long time ago. Before he had arrived here. Sakura came to mind right away, but in the end that love had been false. Well, not exactly _false_, but it wasn't the kind of love Nino was talking about. Rather, Naruto had shared a type of familial love with Sakura. That's what it had developed to at least. Being on the same team for so long, it was only natural. What Naruto thought was _love_ _for a woman _hadn't been that at all. He understood that.

What about now? Had he found someone else since coming here? As he had told Hayato a couple days ago, the answer was a resounding no. For a relationship to work, Naruto felt that he had to be completely honest with his partner. And when it came to him, 'being honest' wasn't exactly easy. Not with his kind of past. It wasn't like he knew many people either. More specifically, someone he could confine in. Someone he could be completely honest with. Asagi and Ken came close, as did Hayato. But something was still holding him back. Closer still were…..

Naruto didn't finish that thought.

"Is that a no?"

Nino wasn't being very patient right now. She wanted answers, and she was going to get them. One way or another.

Naruto stared back at her. "No. I haven't."

It was surprising how easy the truth came out. But Naruto had had a long time to consider his feelings for Sakura. Even before coming here, he had already accepted the truth. That's why her confession had felt so wrong to him, because he knew she had felt the same way he did.

Nino's face brightened. "Well, I can tell you that I have. I've had my first love for a while now."

How could she speak about this so easily!? It was like he was caught on the Nino-train, destination love.

…...okay, bad analogy. Never using that one again.

"Do you think it's possible?" Nino said. "To make that love possible? Or is family all we can be?"

The ceiling was starting to look pretty interesting right about now.

Nino wasn't letting him go without an answer, though.

So he answered.

"I-I mean, in my experience," not that he had any, "I'm pretty sure that a familial relationship is the best we can expect from one another. I-It's how it's always been, hasn't it?"

If it worked, why change it?

"That won't change." Nino's cheeks turned red. "We'll still be family. But we can also be…..._more _than that."

Could they? Naruto really wanted to say no, to push her off and pretend like none of this had happened. But his body wouldn't move. It wouldn't obey him anymore. All his senses were overwhelmed with Nino's scent. Her body was pressed up against his, and he could hear her heart beating. Or maybe it was his. Naruto didn't know anymore.

It was still funny. She was smaller than him, and much weaker. But at this moment, she was the one who had the power over him. If anyone from his gym saw him right now, they wouldn't recognize him at all.

Nino seemed to wait for his answer, to see if he would push her away. Or do anything that would show he didn't want this. But he didn't. That just made her happy. She knew she was having an effect on him. It was confirmation that a part of him, or perhaps all of him, was seeing her as more than just that twelve-year-old girl he first met all those years ago.

It just made her want to be bolder.

Naruto still didn't move as Nino leaned in for his lips. They were millimeters apart, and Naruto was sure the inevitable was going to happen.

Nino was going to kiss him.

The door of his apartment opening stopped this at the last second.

* * *

Ichika knew she was playing dirty, that she was meddling when she shouldn't. But before she could think things through, she was already out of bed and heading straight for Naruto's apartment.

She had seen Nino wake up extra early this morning, which was unusual. On Saturdays, they all liked to sleep in. Even Itsuki, the same girl who tried to be punctual and orderly, still acted like a bum during the peaceful Saturday mornings. That's why it was suspicious to see Nino up and about when she didn't have to cook for any of them or anything like that.

When Nino left their apartment, Ichika knew right away where her sister was headed to. Panic had set in at that point. It's why she took off, the desperation clear on her face. She didn't even bother to pick out her clothes, just throwing whatever was close at the time. Which was some jeans and a plain white t-shirt. It was the complete opposite of Nino's handpicked outfit. Ichika was sure her sister had even put on some sexy underwear to go along with it.

Nino was straightforward like that. It's why Ichika was so afraid. If she didn't do anything, she was sure _something _would happen in that apartment today. Nino had already made her intentions clear to them.

Nothing would stop her.

That's why she didn't bother to knock when she reached Naruto's apartment, choosing instead to use the key he had given her. They all had a copy. Naruto claimed it was for emergencies only, in case something happened or they needed to use his place for whatever reason.

Well, this was most certainly an emergency.

When she opened the door, Ichika knew she had made the right choice in coming here.

She was going to have to play dirty.

* * *

Nino was not happy, and she made this clear as she glared at Ichika who was now inside the apartment. Unlike her, Ichika was smiling, but Nino knew it was a fake smile. Ichika was well aware what she had interrupted, and this only pissed Nino off even more.

Naruto had already escaped into his bedroom. After Ichika had walked in on them, he had quickly made a run for it. It was all he could do after finally gaining control over his body again.

"What are you doing here?" Nino said through clenched teeth.

Ichika wouldn't meet Nino's gaze. Another admission of guilt. "Oh, it's not really a big deal. I just wanted to see if Naruto-kun was interested in spending the day with us. That's all."

Such a terrible lie. Nino expected better from her, but she was sure that Ichika was still reeling from what she saw minutes earlier.

'She's really bold…...' Ichika made sure to hide her blush as she thought back to what she saw. She had played it off in front of Naruto, acting dumb. But she knew what Nino and Naruto were about to do. Even though she was extremely popular and was asked out by many guys, Ichika had never done anything before. She had never even held hands with a guy before! So jumping from no experience to something like that…...

How could Nino do it? Why was it so easy for her? Ichika wanted to be able to express her feelings that confidently too. But she just couldn't.

And it angered her.

"This isn't going to work." Nino crossed her arms and glared at Ichika further. "I don't know what your full intentions are, but you can't beat me this way."

Ichika's fake smile grew. "E-Eh? What are you talking about, Nino? I don't-"

"Don't play dumb." Just like with Naruto, Nino wasn't going to let Ichika dance around the issue. She went right up to Ichika, which forced her to finally look at Nino. "I've known for a while. That's why I made sure to be honest about my feelings too."

Ichika was cornered. She realized this. This had been her move, but Nino was turning it against her.

"That's why I'm going to be clear about this too." Nino's eyes bored right through Ichika's. "If you think you can beat me and take Naruto from me like this, then you're wrong. Your indirect schemes won't accomplish anything but delay the inevitable."

"Ahahaha, you sure have a wild imagination, don't you?" Ichika made sure to not stutter. That would give her up right away. Another part of her reminded her that it was already too late for that. "Didn't you hear Itsuki? You're the only one who-"

"I know you love Naruto too." Nino didn't allow her to finish her lie. She wasn't in the mood for it. "Probably as long as I have, right?"

Ichika was left stunned, unable to come up with any more lies to save her. Well, there was nothing to save really. Not anymore. And the worst part?

She didn't notice Naruto standing in the room with them until after Nino spoke.

* * *

Naruto had to hide himself in his bathroom after everything that had happened with Nino. It was a cowardly move, he knew this. But he had no choice. He couldn't face her right now, not after _that_. He needed a few minutes to get his thoughts together at least. He deserved that, right?

He was thankful for Ichika's intervention. Otherwise, he and Nino would have crossed a line that they could never return from. And worst of all, he hadn't done anything to stop it!

'What the hell is wrong with me?' He splashed some cold water on his face as an attempt to purge himself from any bad thoughts. He couldn't do this. It just wouldn't be right.

Would it?

He had made a promise to their mother to look after them. If he did this, it would be like he was taking advantage of that promise. Taking advantage of their trust.

Nino didn't seem to look at it that way, though.

'She's all grown up now.'

They all were. It was something that hadn't fully hit home yet until now. Nino had been right on the money when she said that he only saw them as the same little girls from five years ago. It wasn't by any means intentional. It just was. But before he knew it, those little girls were now on the verge of adulthood.

Naruto nearly cringed. 'Okay, bad word choice.' He didn't need to be further reminded of what he and Nino almost did back there.

'But she got me.' Naruto couldn't deny this either. A part of him had most definitely been receptive of Nino's actions. Or was it all of him? No, it couldn't be all of him. It just couldn't.

…...could it?

'Shit.'

He cursed again. He cursed everything.

'Why did this have to happen?'

He couldn't hide in here forever, as much as he would have liked that. He needed to face Nino, to come to some resolution about this. Leaving things in the air like this would just leave a bad taste in his mouth. It wasn't in him to run away either. He had made that mistake once. Granted, back then, he had been more focused on other stuff. Like the Akatsuki and Sasuke. But now, he didn't have those excuses.

'I need to face this. I need to face Nino.'

He had to.

Getting his resolve, Naruto took a deep breath in before marching back to the small living room of his apartment. He didn't know what he was going to say, or how he would start things off with Nino. He would have to tell Ichika to give them a few minutes-oh crap. That was another thing. Ichika! She totally saw their compromising position! There was no way she had missed it. She was too clever for that. What was she going to say!? Would she tell him that he was some kind of deviant for getting into that position with Nino?

'But it wasn't my fault!'

It really wasn't. At the very least, he would have to explain things to Ichika too. The last thing he wanted was for Miku, Yotsuba, and Itsuki to know about this. That would just make things more complicated. And he didn't want that.

But as he stepped back into the living room, all those thoughts left his mind as he heard Nino's words.

"I know you love Naruto too."

His brain crashed for the second time this morning.

* * *

Ichika felt like she was about to die from embarrassment. She knew it wasn't Nino's intention to blurt out her feelings to the one person Ichika wanted to hide them from, but that didn't bring her any comfort. It was the opposite really.

It just made her more embarrassed.

Nino was confused about her reaction until she followed her gaze. It was then that she gawked when she realized that Naruto had come back from the bathroom and was now in the room with them. And judging from the way he was staring at Ichika with wide eyes, he must have heard what she said just now.

Well, crap. This was shaping out to be one hell of a morning. Nino hadn't planned on this development, but there was no turning back now.

"So all the cards have been put on the table," she said rather chirpily, which didn't fit with the mood.

Ichika suddenly squeaked and made for the door, but Nino stopped her by grabbing her wrist before she could get too far.

"Oh, no you don't!" she said, looking annoyed now. "If you left now, it would leave things on a bad ending!"

"B-But I can't talk right now!" Ichika shouted, struggling to get free from Nino's hold. "This wasn't how it was supposed to be!"

"If things had gone your way, then it would have been worse!" Nino shouted back. She wasn't going to let Ichika play the victim here. "Or what? Do you prefer to rely on your tricks rather than be honest about your feelings!? Do you really believe that would have made things better!?"

Ichika had no answer to this. Instead, she stopped struggling and lowered her head. She didn't know _how _she wanted things to go. She had never bothered to think that far ahead. That was another difference between her and Nino. She only looked at what was before her while Nino made sure to think ahead. Things didn't always go as planned, as today had shown. But Nino always made sure to think about the future.

Naruto looked between the two, silent. He was still trying to process all of this.

Ichika had feelings for him too? No, no, no. That couldn't be. Like…...how? Why? When? How had he not seen this coming? Was he that blind?

He chose to ignore that last question.

"You too!" Nino turned her focus to him. "Say something!"

"W-What am I suppose to say…...?" Because Naruto didn't know!

Seeing that Ichika wasn't going anywhere, Nino let her go and stepped over to Naruto. She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him down to her eye level.

"My feelings. Ichika's feelings. You know now. We both love you. That's the truth."

Ichika opened her mouth to deny that, but no words came out. It would have been a fruitless effort anyway. After all this, there was no way she could lie or make excuses. Not anymore. Nino had seen to that.

"I…..I just don't get it," Naruto said, shaking his head. "Why? Why would you-"

"Does that really matter at this point?" Nino cut him off with a huff. "Any reason we give you wouldn't make a difference. Our feelings will remain the same."

She made it sound so easy, like none of this was complicated. But it very much so was complicated! At least, to Naruto it was.

Still, the blond got some of his act together, enough to turn to Ichika.

"Is this true, Ichika? What Nino said….. you have feelings for me?"

He wanted to hear it from her. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to come to any sort of decision about what to do next.

Ichika still didn't face him. Her legs were wobbly, and her shoulders were shaking.

Nino huffed again. "Stop being a wimp. He already knows. The hard part is over. You just have to be honest with yourself."

Wasn't that usually the hard part? That's what Naruto wanted to say, but he wisely kept his mouth shut as he waited for Ichika's response.

The 'oldest' of the quintuplets took a deep breath of her own before finally looking at Naruto. Her cheeks were flushed, and she still squirmed under Naruto's gaze. It was one of the few things that could make her weak, after all.

Regardless, Ichika made sure to stand her ground. For once, she wasn't going to run away. That was the choice she was forced to make.

"Yes. It's true. I've loved you for a long time." Just saying it was a huge relief for her.

If Naruto thought that hearing it from Ichika would make things clearer for him, then he sure didn't now. It was the opposite. He was floored. All of this affected him more than any punch or kick he had received when fighting in his matches.

"There you have it." Nino looked pleased.

Ichika's eyebrow twitched a little. Seeing Nino look so smug rubbed her the wrong way.

"Oh? Why are you so happy? You know what this means, don't you?" No longer hesitating, Ichika stepped to Naruto's side and grabbed his arm. "You've given me the perfect opportunity to finally do everything I've been too scared to do before. It's on now."

Wait, what-

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Nino grabbed his other arm while shooting Ichika a smirk. "It's like I said in the beginning. I'll be the one to win. You won't be able to stop that."

So that's where the situation was now, was it? They were on the hunt, and Naruto was caught in the middle.

Nino and Ichika then started to laugh as they released their hold on him. This only made Naruto feel more confused. What was happening now?

"What are you-"

"Your face, it's just too funny," Nino said through her laughter.

Ichika nodded. "Yeah, I think this is the first time I've seen you this confused since you first started high school."

What the hell, she still remembered that!?

"But I guess that can't be helped." Nino got her laughter under control. "We sprung a lot on you. Especially since a certain someone decided to meddle in."

Ichika shrugged. "I wasn't going to let you get ahead of me that easily."

"Whatever." Nino waved her off before winking at Naruto. "But now you know. You'll probably need some time to process this. I can deal with that. But the ending has already been decided. I'll be sure to make you mine, Naruto."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Nino." Ichika stood next to her, looking just as confident. "I won't let you have him."

Naruto looked at the two of them, too amazed to say anything in return. He just had one thought.

This was _really_ complicated.

* * *

**And with this, we bring round 1 to a close. The combatants? Nino and Ichika. The objective? Naruto.**

**Lucky bastard.**

**These opening chapters were meant to establish the major differences going into the start of the canon story line. This will trickle down to further differences and so on.**

**Speaking of canon, the last several chapters have left me shook. Ichika has left herself in a bad position, and it looks like one of the fan theories has turned out to be right. That Fuutarou met all five of them during different times. It doesn't surprise me really. Although a part of me really thought that Ichika was lying about that at first. Turns out I was wrong.  
**

**Yotsuba still confuses me.**

**But that's all from me.**

**Till next time.**


	5. It's Really Complicated

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

**AN: I was motivated to release this chapter early by the great "criticism" I received last chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 4:  
****It's Really Complicated**

"Hey, Ken. What would you do if a girl confessed to you?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that? You've never asked me anything like that before. Are you sure you're Naruto?"

"Just answer the question, jeez."

"No, this is far too suspicious. You've never been interested in romance before."

"I-I wouldn't say I wasn't _interested_. I just never had to think about it all that much. That's all. B-But even I can be curious about starting a relationship. It's no big deal."

"…..did something happen to you?"

"….."

"…..you rat bastard. How could you!?"

Naruto was nearly tackled by the now crying Ken. The two were at work together. Asagi wasn't in today, so it was only the two of them and Hayato who was in the back of the shop. As usual, the place was a ghost town. There was only one customer, and it was an old woman who was quietly enjoying her tea.

"I can't believe you!" Ken said with his tear-stricken face. "I thought we were supposed to be lame and unpopular forever! How could you abandon me like this!?"

"W-What the hell are you talking about!?"

"Don't play stupid with me!" Ken glared at him. "You got yourself a girlfriend, didn't you? You trying to brag now? Huh?" The boy turned into a depressed mush in the corner. "It makes no sense. I'm the one going to college. He's just taking online courses. Logically speaking, I should be the one with the girlfriend, right? It's not fair."

Naruto sweatdropped. He might have just accidentally broken Ken. "Hey, weren't you like going to date a voice actress?"

"I-I still am!" Ken puffed out his chest. "Just wait and see. My future girlfriend will be ten times hotter than yours. And a lot more cool too."

Yeah, good luck with that.

Naruto sighed. "Look, I don't have a girlfriend-"

"Don't you lie to me, boy!"

"We're the same age, idiot!" Naruto would have thrown a rock at him if he had one. "And I'm serious. I'm not dating anyone."

Yet….probably. Maybe.

…..maybe not?

Urgh.

That seemed to placate the glasses-wearer. For now.

"Then why the weird question?"

"I don't know. Can't I be curious about dating?"

"You could." Ken didn't look convinced. "But it's still too sudden. There has to be a catalyst for your newfound interest." He narrowed his eyes. "Did you meet a girl? Or is it…..one from your harem?"

"You mother-"

"Now, now. No need for such crude language here, boys." Hayato emerged from the back of the shop and took his spot behind the bar as usual. He gave the two of them a curious stare. "And what is this about dating I hear?"

Ken was quick to snitch. "Hear this, Hayato-san. Apparently Naruto here is interested in dating."

"Really now?" Hayato clapped, looking excited. "That's wonderful! Just the other day you told me you weren't looking for anyone, but I guess life throws many surprises at you, huh?"

Oh great. Now the man was going to get the wrong idea. Not that it was the wrong idea per say. After all, Naruto was interested….or maybe he wasn't. Or he was...?

Okay, he didn't know. He hadn't felt this confused about his emotions in a long time.

"Look at his face." Ken was glaring daggers at the blond. "Someone definitely confessed to you. I just know it."

"Now isn't that romantic?" Hayato placed a hand over his cheek and sighed in bliss. "I remember the first time someone confessed to me. It was back in my younger and wilder days, when I worked at this night club. The young man was from this yakuza group in the area. I knew it was wrong, but he totally swept me off my feet. It was really magical."

Oh.

Naruto scratched his cheek. "You've been through some stuff, huh?"

Hayato chuckled. "I've had my fair share of experiences, yes."

You don't say.

"But this isn't about me," Hayato continued. "Naruto-kun, if a girl has confessed to you, then you have to take it seriously. It takes a lot of courage to confess your feelings, especially if you know you might get rejected."

Naruto knew this. He had been on the rejected side before, so he knew it wasn't easy. And it wasn't that he wasn't taking this seriously. It was just that…..he didn't know what to do. How would he act towards them now? What were they going to expect from him?

What was the right choice?

Almost as if he was reading his mind, Hayato said, "If I can give you one piece of advice, it's that there's never a true answer when it comes to matters of the heart. It's irrational, and it'll definitely lead you down a painful path at times. The best you can do is hope to be honest with yourself, even if you don't like the truth."

Kind of like the truth he faced when Nino first confronted him.

Naruto slowly nodded, taking Hayato's words to heart. "Yes….I understand. Thank you. I'll definitely try my best."

It was definitely nice, to turn to someone like Hayato at times like this.

The moment between the two was lost, though, when Ken grabbed Naruto into a sudden chokehold. He was also crying again.

"So it was true! You rotten traitor, when did you get so popular, huh!?"

This time, Naruto didn't hold back and elbowed Ken in the gut. Once again, it was so satisfying, especially when he fell to the floor.

"I'm starting to see why Asagi enjoys hitting you so much, Ken. Great practice."

A groan was the only answer Naruto got.

Hayato just shook his head.

Boys.

* * *

It was around two hours later when Hayato was greeted with a familiar face entering his shop.

"Ah, Miku-chan! It's good to see you again."

Miku gave Hayato a courtesy nod as she stepped inside the shop. She was in another one of her sweaters with striped shorts and her usual black tights. She was holding a book close to her chest, almost like she didn't want anyone else to see it.

"It's been almost a week since you last came. I was starting to get worried I would lose one of my regulars."

"School was a pain," she said softly. "I was bogged down with tests all week."

Hayato nodded in understanding. "Yes, I remember those. They were so annoying to do. But hang in there! You'll get past them eventually."

Miku smiled a little. She had never really understood what Hayato's "deal" was, why with the way he dressed and acted. But he was a nice enough person. The man was one of the few people she could talk to outside of her family with confidence, which said a lot about the man's charisma.

"You can take a seat anywhere you like," Hayato told her with a wide smile. "We have plenty of room."

They did. Miku spotted only two other people in the café shop, and they were sitting quietly and doing their own thing. It's why Miku liked this place so much. The food was good, and it had the best atmosphere for a quiet person like herself.

She headed for one of the empty booths in the back, which was her preferred spot. Once she was seated and comfortable, she opened her book and started to read. It was about Takeda Shingen, who just happened to be her favorite general from the Sengoku period. She usually read in her room, but she wanted a change of scenery. It was Saturday, after all. On Monday, she and the others were going to start at their new school, so Miku wanted to relax a bit before then. Hopefully the people there weren't as obnoxious as the ones in her old school.

'Not that I'll talk to them anyway.'

She wasn't like the others. She couldn't make friends easily, or at all really. Nino especially was like a social butterfly, able to approach anyone with confidence. Miku knew it wouldn't take her, or the others, long to make new friends at their new school. It was a skill Miku wished she could have, but unfortunately it wasn't in her.

"Hello there! Welcome to…..wait, Miku!?"

Miku looked up from her book to see Naruto staring at her in surprise. He had a notepad with him, which meant he was her waiter for today. She preferred it this way, but she didn't mind the waitress that worked here either. The other guy scared her a little, though….okay, a lot. The way he was always shouting gibberish was enough to make Miku want to stay away from him.

Miku raised one of her eyebrows at the blond.

"What's with the reaction? You know I like to come here."

Before, she only came when Naruto worked. But over time, she became comfortable enough to visit the shop on her own.

Naruto started to massage his forehead in an attempt to calm his nerves. He hadn't meant to react like that just now, but seeing Miku only reminded him of what had happened earlier today.

He was still trying to come to terms with that, even with Hayato's hopeful advice. Ichika and Nino, the two of them were interested in him. And not in the friendly sort of way, but the romantic one. As someone with no experience in romantic relationships, this was a lot to take in. Even though it had been several hours since then, it still felt like it had just happened. Like he was still in that moment when Nino and Ichika confessed to him, reliving it over and over again.

Naruto shook his head. Now wasn't the time.

"Sorry, I'm just going through some stuff. Nothing big."

Oh, but it was big. Not that he could tell her that.

Miku kept her eyes on him for a few more moments. She might be the most socially inept out of the quintuplets, but she was the best one when it came to reading people. Especially those who she was close with. That's why she could imitate the others the best.

"Something happened."

Naruto nearly winced at those words. She was already on to him. But how could she be suspicious already? Ken had caught on fast too. Was he that easy to read?

"Nah…..everything is cool." He tried his best to appear as his normal laid back self. But when she narrowed those dark blue eyes of hers, Naruto knew he wasn't convincing her.

"I thought you said it was best for people to talk about their problems, to be open to those close to you. Was that a lie?"

She wasn't going to let this go, was she?

Naruto gave her a gently tap on the head with his notepad. "And who is it that still hasn't told her sisters about her crazy obsession with dead generals from the past?"

Miku pouted, her cheeks turning puffy. "You told me it wasn't weird…."

She had managed to open up to the blond about her secret hobby almost a year ago. But that wasn't much of a surprise. Naruto was an easy person to talk to. It was part of his charm.

"Liking history isn't weird." Naruto then leaned in closer to her, his eyebrow twitching. "But the part about being sexually attracted to 'old overweight men' really scares me. You could easily be taken advantage of, ya know!"

The world was a scary place, after all.

Miku's cheeks turned red. "I-I didn't mean it like _that_, okay!" she hissed. She actually _hissed_. "I-I only said that they were more interesting than the pretty boys the other girls like to talk about!"

Naruto didn't believe her, but he still dropped the issue. He was confident Miku would never do something she'd regret…...hopefully. But he really did worry for her. Out of the quintuplets, she was the one who had the hardest time socializing. He was sure she didn't have any friends at her old school. She probably only ever talked to him and her sisters. Hopefully that changed this year with the new school and everything.

"Anyway, stop trying to change the subject." Miku got her blush under control and gave the blond an accusatory glare. "Something happened to you, didn't it?"

"Ah…."

Crap, she was still on that. He was sure her embarrassment would have made her forget about their initial topic. Looks like lady luck wasn't on his side today.

Miku tapped her finger on the table. "And if I had to guess further, I would say it has something to do with Nino."

Naruto openly gawked at her. How the hell had she figured _that _out!? It wasn't one hundred percent true as Ichika was involved too, but it was still far too close to the mark for his liking!

"I see. Based on your reaction, I take it I'm right." Miku closed her eyes as she shut her book. She wasn't going to get any reading right now anyhow.

"I-I mean….." Naruto struggled to say something, _anything _that would save him from this predicament. Maybe Hayato would reprimand him for socializing at work? No, that would never happen. Since the other customers, all two of them, already had their orders filled by Ken, there was no reason for him to rush. Then maybe Ken would burst in to save him? No, no. That wouldn't happen either. The idiot was in the back reading one of his light novels. Nothing could distract him from that.

He was caught, and there was no way out.

Miku tucked some of her hair behind her ear and said, "You don't have to explain. I can pretty much guess what happened."

If Nino was involved, then there was only one reason Naruto would be looking this flustered.

'So she did it.' A part of Miku had doubted that Nino would really move ahead with her plan to date Naruto, but boy was she wrong. Nino hadn't wasted any time it seemed. She had gone straight for it.

It really made Miku jealous. Should a time ever come when she was interested in someone, Miku knew she could never be that bold with her feelings.

"So you guys have been talking," Naruto said as he began to realize why Miku would know his troubles. It made sense. The five shared almost everything with one another, with a couple of exceptions here and there. Miku's hobby and Ichika's new career came to mind.

"Nino told us all." Miku averted her gaze at this point. "She told us about her feelings for you."

She wasn't beating around the bush either, which was surprising for Miku. More importantly, Nino had really done something like that? What the heck was that girl thinking? Naruto didn't understand why she would involve the others like this.

Another customer suddenly walked inside the shop, much to Hayato's delight. It also reminded the blond that this was no time to be having this conversation.

"We can talk later. My shift ends in an hour."

Miku nodded. She didn't mind the wait.

* * *

The Sun was already setting when Naruto and Miku left the shop together. Normally, Naruto would have worked a bit longer, but Hayato had closed the place early today. Apparently there was some "personal business" he had to deal with, whatever that meant.

Well, whatever. Hayato's personal life aside, Naruto had more important matters to face.

"So what are you going to do?"

It was Miku who broke the silence as the two crossed one of the pedestrian bridges to get to the bus station.

"That is the question, isn't it?" Naruto stopped halfway on the bridge with Miku doing the same. She turned to him, her face curious. She wanted to know where his head was right now with all of this. She didn't want to think that Nino had made a mistake by confessing so quickly.

"First of all, you should know that it wasn't just Nino who confessed to me. Ichika did too."

Wait, wait, wait. Did she hear that correctly? _Ichika _confessed!? Nino was one thing, but Ichika!?

Naruto chuckled at Miku's bewildered expression. "Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction. First time in years I've felt so lost."

"Eh? You don't say." Miku quickly returned to her stoic self. "So even you can get flustered. I never would have realized."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Stop making jokes."

"I'm just saying. You fight people for a hobby, and you do that with no problems. But two girls confess to you, and now you hesitate? You disappoint me."

"…I think you've been hanging around Nino too much, Miku."

She was supposed to be the secretly sweet one!

"But isn't that a good sign?" Miku ignored his comment as she looked at him. "If you're this troubled, then it means you're taking this seriously."

"Of course I'm taking this seriously!" How could he not? "I've just never been in this sort of situation before," he admitted with some frustration.

How was he supposed to deal with romance anyway? It was a foreign concept to him. As a kid, he had always imagined having a big family with the stereotypical house and everything. It was cheesy, but it wasn't like he had known any better. That mostly stemmed from his loneliness, though. As he grew older, he stopped thinking less and less about such things and focused more on other aspects of his life. Which was to be expected, given the shit storm his life had been back in his dimension. Coming here hadn't helped, though. How could he truly connect with someone without talking about his past? About where he came from? It just wouldn't be right if he glossed over that. It would be like he was rejecting that part of his life, which he would never do in a million years.

But now, this situation was sprung on him all of a sudden. And it was coming from two people he never would have considered.

"Are you going to reject them?" Miku asked. She made sure to avert her gaze from Naruto when she asked this, but the blond was too busy with his thoughts to noice.

"That would be the responsible thing to do, wouldn't it?" It had to be. A relationship with either of them would never work out. As inexperienced as he was, Naruto could understand that much at least.

"You don't sound sure."

"But I am."

He was. He definitely was.

Miku looked at him again and laughed softly. "You probably don't know this, but you're a terrible liar. Your eyes give you away."

They did?

"They do. They're really expressive."

As a former shinobi, that really stung. Naruto recalled Sakura telling him that once too, but that wasn't important right now.

"Just know, with that half-baked attitude, it isn't going to convince ether of them," Miku told him. "At least, Nino won't be convinced." She didn't know how Ichika would react. It was surprising enough that she had confessed at all.

"I feel like I'm the younger one here," Naruto mused. "Shouldn't I be the one to help you, not the other way around?"

"It's only because you're being too much of a wimp. Someone has to make sure you don't stay that way."

Naruto twitched. "Again, the insults aren't helping."

Miku shrugged. "Prove me wrong then."

"I know you're just trying to provoke me, but goddammit it's working."

Jokes aside, it was true that he couldn't keep his half-baked attitude moving forward. It wouldn't be fair to either Nino or Ichika, especially since they had both stepped up and decided to confess. Hayato wasn't wrong about that. Nino especially. Just thinking about her actions made Naruto blush again.

Miku noticed this and started to get second-hand embarrassment. She didn't know what the blond was thinking about, but if it had to do with either Nino or Ichika…..

'B-Better not think about it too deeply.'

The last thing she wanted was to hear Naruto's perverted thoughts.

If only she knew it was the other way around.

Getting her thoughts under control, Miku said, "This probably isn't the best time for this, but you're coming over to dinner tonight, right?"

Silence. There was no answer from Naruto. No outward reaction either. He just simply stared down at the passing cars below.

Miku deadpanned. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know what this meant.

"You forgot about it, didn't you?"

"…..maybe?"

"You really are an idiot."

"Don't be so brutal! You're hurting my feelings, Miku!" He cried out. "And in my defense, Nino texted me hours ago! I've been focused on other stuff today, so it's only normal that I would forget okay!"

Nino was supposedly cooking dinner for them today, and she wanted everyone to be there. It sounded like she was serious, so anyone who missed it would probably end up murdered the next day. That's why he was going.

That, and Nino's cooking. He could never miss that.

Miku still looked disappointed. "And here I thought you were cool once. I take back my admiration for you."

"I'm starting to think you might be a sadist, Miku….."

A worrying thought. Nino already filled that spot. No need for a second one.

Miku tapped him on the chest and smiled. "Call it payback, for making two of my sisters go through all of this."

"Y-You should have more sympathy for me here," Naruto said weakly, absolutely dejected with the treatment he was getting from her. "But whatever!" He perked up. "I'm sure Yotsuba will be more kind to my situation. You should be more like her during times like this!"

Miku shook her head and started to walk off, genuinely disappointed this time.

"How dense can you be?"

"W-Wait, what does that mean!?" Naruto quickly followed after her, his voice cracking a little. "Miku, what do you know!? Tell me!"

Miku just hid her smile.

Dense indeed.

* * *

Once they arrived at the thirty-story apartment complex, Naruto felt his palms start to get sweaty. His nervousness only skyrocketed when he and Miku got on the elevator to the thirtieth floor, their floor. He really didn't know how he was supposed to act around Nino and Ichika now. They did say they were going to give him some time for his answer, but how long was that exactly?

'I know I said I couldn't half-ass this, but…..'

His nerves were getting the best of him. The more he thought about it, about them, the more insecure he became. Wait, was it insecurity? No, maybe it was more along the lines of being self-conscious rather than insecure. Or was it both? Didn't they mean the same thing?

He was rambling now, and about pointless crap too.

'I'm so gonna screw this up.'

Naruto was not in familiar territory right now, and it was starting to show now more than ever.

Miku could practically see everything that was going through Naruto's head from his face alone. She wasn't lying when she said he was a terrible liar. He could be like an open book sometimes, and this was one of those times.

Miku wanted to offer some words of reassurance, but she stopped herself. She had already meddled enough. This was something Naruto had to figure out by himself.

Besides, he deserved to squirm a little.

'Idiot…..'

The two didn't waste time exiting the elevator and heading for the door. Naruto would have preferred walking slower, to buy himself some more time however little, but Miku didn't allow him to.

How mean.

Once Miku opened the door, a blur instantly shot past her and tackled Naruto to the ground.

"Naruto-sensei!"

The blond groaned from the floor as Yotsuba leered over him. She was in one of her onesies today. Out of the five, Yotsuba definitely had the most "innocent" style of clothing.

"Again, I know asking this is pointless, but do we have to go through this time every time we see each other?"

"Yes, yes we do."

"You're going to crack my spine one of these days, Yotsuba."

"Ahahaha, what are you saying!? You're too strong for that!"

Yes, but it still hurt!

"Why do you do this every time, Yotsuba?" Itsuki had to ask the same thing as she walked out into the hall. She wore a long skirt and a comfortable sleeveless t-shirt. "You're going to cause a serious accident one of these days."

"Nah, no way! Naruto-sensei is too tough for that!" Yotsuba denied, still not seeing the problem.

"I'm so gonna throw those words back at you when we spar again," Naruto said. He meant it too.

Yotsuba paled and quickly ran off back inside. "You wouldn't hurt an innocent girl, Naruto-sensei! I know you!"

Naruto was almost tempted to run after her but decided it was not worth it.

"I'm surprised to see you all here," Naruto said after getting to his feet again. "Usually, you all disappear on Saturdays."

Itsuki crossed her arms. "Yes, well, Nino sounded very serious about this dinner."

"Too scared to say no~" he teased.

Itsuki blushed and huffed. "N-No. She's my sister. Of course I'm going to like spending time with her."

Naruto and Miku looked at one another.

She was definitely scared. Naruto couldn't blame her, though. Nino was _really_ scary when she wanted to be.

The trio then walked inside the apartment, with Itsuki closing the door behind them. Yotsuba was sprawled on the couch, which was brave of her. If Naruto wanted to, he could get his revenge here and now.

But honestly, he didn't have the mind to do something like that right now.

"Oh, you're finally here."

Naruto felt his spine tingle when Nino's words reached him. Said girl emerged from the kitchen. She had changed out from her previous outfit and was in one of her more comfortable dresses. Similar to the one she wore when he first got back, only this one was brownish and reddish in color.

"Y-Yeah, I wouldn't miss this for the world! Ahahaha….."

Worst fake laugh ever. Where were your acting skills, Uzumaki!?

Itsuki gave Naruto a curious glance, finding his mannerisms strange. It was like he had never talked to Nino before and was nervous. But that didn't make sense.

Miku just went to the couch where Yotsuba was. She didn't want to get caught in the middle of _that_.

As for Nino, she didn't seem to mind Naruto's weird reaction and grabbed him by the hand, leading him to the kitchen.

"I decided to go out all today," she beamed. "I've been stuck in the kitchen for hours, but I think you'll like it."

He definitely would. He was bias, but Nino's cooking was the best.

"I still don't get why you're doing this," Itsuki said, trailing after them. "Is today a special occasion that I don't remember?"

"Eh, don't worry about it." Nino dismissed her question. "We can enjoy ourselves once in a while, right?"

While it sounded plausible, Itsuki wasn't buying it. Nino never did anything like this without reason. Unless it was their birthday. So she was definitely suspicious of Nino tonight.

The smell of the food prepared in the kitchen was more than enough to make Naruto relax, his senses bombarded with all the smells. Nino had prepared some stew, pork from the looks of it, with some kind of tomato salad on the side. For a novice like him, he didn't have the vocabulary to explain it very well. He just knew it looked delicious.

"There is also dessert~" Nino went to the fridge and pulled out a cake. It was a red velvet cake to be exact, with cream cheese frosting.

Naruto and Itsuki started drooling the moment they saw the cake.

"That looks great," Naruto said with Itsuki eagerly nodding next to him. He started to approach the fridge. "Can we have a taste-"

"It's D-E-S-S-E-R-T." Nino put the cake back in the fridge before Naruto or Itsuki could assault it. "You just gotta wait until after the main meal."

"Boooooo." Itsuki protested this. Desserts were a major weakness for her. She wanted the cake now!

Naruto also wanted the cake, but he was fine with the stew too. "Well, you made a lot of other food. Can't let it spoil."

Nino smiled as she latched on to his arm again. "That's right. They say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Oh, no.

Itsuki's eyes widened a little. "N-Nino, that was a joke, right?"

"Hm? I guess?" Nino shrugged and hugged Naruto closer. "But it's also true. I'm going on the offensive tonight."

Offensive, she said. Naruto could be clueless in plenty of situations, but after having Nino stuck in his head all day there was no way he was missing the hint.

"Y-You said you would give me some time," Naruto reminded her, hoping to stop whatever was going to happen.

Nino nodded. "I did." She then leaned in closer to him. "But I also said I was going to make you fall for me."

Once again, Naruto was rooted where he stood. Not even the smell of Nino's cooking could distract him from the girl herself.

And Nino was more than aware of this, which made her happy.

Itsuki was frozen in place too, her brain trying to process what she was seeing. But it couldn't be true. Nino couldn't be doing something like this. Because…..because…..

"Oh boy, I think you accidentally broke Itsuki, Nino."

Itsuki couldn't even react to Ichika's presence, who now stood in the kitchen with them. She wore shorts like Miku's, and a t-shirt only hers wasn't loose like Ichika's.

Naruto noticed Ichika right away, though, and his nervousness only went up.

'They're both here…..'

His mind started to draw up a thousand possibilities, and all of them ended in disaster.

"What's the matter, Naruto-kun?" Ichika was able to see right through his hesitation and just about skipped over to him, her hands clasped behind her back. "Cat got your tongue?"

Like she didn't know.

"I think he misunderstood what we said last time." Nino let go of his arm and stood back a little. "I thought we were pretty upfront about the whole thing too."

Ichika smiled. "I guess he's that dense, huh?"

Their teasing was enough to make Naruto snap out of it. "You've been getting ahead of yourselves lately. Don't think you can mess around with me forever."

He was Uzumaki Naruto dammit.

Nino gave him a coy smile. "Say that after you don't freeze up when I hug you."

Crap. She did notice.

"You three…..."

Naruto, Ichika, and Nino suddenly paled when Itsuki's death-inducing voice washed over them.

True enough, it was a like an aura of darkness had washed over Itsuki as she glared at them each.

"What is going on here…..?."

It was a simple question, but a wrong answer would spell the end for them.

"Oh boy." Ichika and Nino had the decency to look sheepish while Naruto wanted to slap himself for being so stupid. How could he forget Itsuki was standing here with them!?

Not just Itsuki. Miku and Yotsuba were both looking over at them from the couch.

"S-So bold." Yotsuba had to duck down when she noticed Naruto glancing her away. "Even when other people are present…..."

"Might as well get used to it," Miku said, shaking her head as she noticed Itsuki was ready to explode.

Their new school, a tutor, and Nino's and Ichika's feelings.

Things were going to be more interesting around here.

* * *

**Omake:  
****And they lived happily ever after…**

"Nino!"

"E-Eh!?"

Nino had no time to react properly as Naruto pushed her back on the floor. Now, he was the one on top.

"As long as you stay by my side, I'll always be happy. B-Because…..I love you too, Nino."

Nino's eyes sparkled in happiness, her cheeks red. "N-Naruto….."

The two leaned toward one another, until finally their lips met for their first kiss.

**DH: And then they lived happily ever after…..the end!**

**A: What? You can't do that!**

**DH: Technically, I can.**

**A: But it's only the third chapter! And you haven't even gotten to the other three yet! Do they like Naruto too or not?**

**DH: Yeah, but, think about it. It's straightforward and simple. It's the best kind of ending.**

**A: It isn't.**

**DH: Is that a bet? Hold my controller.**

**A: Seriously, stop. No one will like that ending.**

**DH: Hmm. Apparently Nino gets lonely very easily, so I can imagine that they would have a lot of kids. Naruto wants a big family too.**

**A: That does make sense-wait, don't write that down! I'm serious!**

**DH: I'm serious too.**

**A: …..**

**DH: So, you want some Mtdew?**

* * *

**I will write what I want. So continue to personally attack me (that's always classy). This "pile of shit" isn't going anywhere. Hell, I'll just write more of it out of spite.**

**Someone mentioned that Naruto was being OOC-ish, and they're right. That's because this is new ground for him. He has no idea **_**how**_** to act, so I'm trying to convey that properly (probably without much success). This chapter was to emphasize that, but it's still more of a filler-ish chapter as we move on to Fuutarou's introduction next and the real start of the war.**

**That's all from me.**

**Till next time.**


	6. From Humble Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 5:  
****From Humble Beginnings**

_Five years into the future, day of the wedding….._

"Naruto-onii-chan!"

Said blond paused and turned toward the voice. He smiled when he saw who it was.

"Raiha-chan! It's good to see you again!"

The high school girl happily ran up to him from down the hall, looking a bit winded. She engulfed him in a hug, which he was happy to return.

"I can't believe you're here! Onii-chan was worried you wouldn't make it. When did you arrive?"

"I just got in last night. There's no way I would miss this," Naruto told her as the two separated. "The bride would kill me if I didn't come."

His wife would too. He was surrounded by violent women. Coming to a new world hadn't changed that part of his life.

Raiha giggled. "I can believe that. Onii-chan told me that you were whipped."

That asshole…...corrupting Raiha's innocent mind like this. Unforgivable!

"By the way, do you know where he is? I came to give him the ring like he asked, but I can't find him anywhere. I can't believe he would forget the ring of all things. How irresponsible can he be?"

Oh, that's right. Fuutarou had called for her, hadn't he?

"I think he went to the chapel to oversee some last minute preparations and greet some of the guests. But you don't have to look for him. I can hold on to the ring."

Raiha gave him a puzzled look before it started to click. "No way! Onii-chan asked you to be his best man!"

Naruto nodded and chuckled. "Yeah. I was surprised too. I thought he would have picked one of his friends from high school, or college."

"Well, onii-chan doesn't have that many friends to begin with."

"Even if that's true, you don't have to say it so casually….."

Raiha could be brutal in her own way.

The girl pulled out the box of the ring from her school bag and handed it to him.

"But I'm glad he picked you. Even if he doesn't like to admit it, he does look up to you a little."

Only a little, huh.

Naruto looked at the little square box that he now held. Inside was the ring, a very important item for today.

"That so? It's news to me. The guy is always in his own little world."

Raiha smiled. "True, you two didn't have a good start. I still remember how he complained about the 'stupid looking older brother' after his first day."

The _first _day? Naruto looked a little miffed at that. He hadn't been _that _bad.

…..had he?

"But you have to tell me how you've been!" Raiha quickly changed the subject, too excited to notice Naruto's dejected look. "You've been in Thailand for the past few months, right?"

"Laos actually," Naruto corrected her as he pocketed the ring. "We were finally able to establish a hospital there. That's only the first step of course. There is a lot more we have to do. I have to fly back after the wedding."

Raiha pouted. "That's terrible. You can't stay just for a few days?"

Naruto patted her on the head. "Sorry, but I can't. Not unless I want everyone's efforts in the last months to be for nothing."

Raiha could understand that. Being in charge of your own company carried a lot of responsibilities. But it still sucked.

"I'm sure onii-chan will be disappointed."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Smirking, Naruto added, "I'm sure he'll be _pretty _occupied for the next week."

A sour look spread across her face. "Naruto-onii-chan, that's really gross."

Naruto coughed. The girl was sharper than he thought.

"I-I didn't mean it _that _way, alright. Just that he has the honeymoon and everything else to worry about."

That wasn't any better.

"You really disappoint me sometimes."

Oi.

"But what about you?" Raiha gained a sly smile. "Are you still in that honeymoon phase?"

Naruto spluttered. "W-What? W-Where did you learn that word!?"

"Technically, it's two words."

"That's not the point!"

Raiha beamed. "Oh, Naruto-onii-chan. I'm a growing lady. It's only expected that I know of these things. I can't stay a kid forever."

"That father of yours is a terrible influence."

"I don't want to hear that from the man who picked out his own wife's lingerie."

HOW DID SHE-!?

"Girl talk."

THAT ONLY RAISED MORE QUESTIONS!

Naruto fixed his collar, suddenly feeling very hot. "A-Anyway, if you must know, things are going very well between us."

Even though both of their jobs were very demanding, they still made sure to reserve time for themselves.

"Mhmm, I'm glad." Raiha smiled some more. "You two are perfect for one another. 'Course, you're not as great as my onii-chan, but you're pretty close."

Such a nice way to insult someone.

Naruto was about to respond until his phone went off. Reaching into his pocket, he looked at the caller ID. It was from Fuutarou.

Naruto answered it.

"What-"

"_Where the hell are you? You suddenly disappeared! I can't handle all these guests on my own."_

Someone was grumpy.

"Calm down. I was just going to congratulate your wife-to-be, and then I ran into Raiha-chan. You're lucky she got here with the ring on time, or else your wedding would have been fucked."

"I wouldn't have used such vulgar language, but yes."

Yay, Raiha-chan was on his side.

"_Just get down to the chapel. Putting up with all these people is your job."_

Still so anti-social. Naruto wondered how he was still friends with him sometimes.

"Fine, fine. Raiha-chan and I'll be there in five."

"I take it he's panicking?" Raiha said after Naruto ended the call.

"Not panicking. More like stressing. He wants this day to be perfect." Naruto grinned. "That's why I know I can trust him."

Raiha shook her head but didn't respond. Initially, she had been afraid of her brother's future. Would he make a good husband? A father? Him forgetting the ring of all things hadn't help quell her fears. But hearing Naruto say that he trusted her brother, well, it was really reassuring for the young girl.

"Come on." Naruto motioned for her to follow. "We should get going."

Raiha smiled. "Yes."

Her beloved brother's wedding was finally here.

* * *

_Present time….._

It was a new day, a new week, and with it came new problems. Heck, they were starting a new school today, but that wasn't why Ichika was stressing out.

"We have to talk."

This was why.

Ichika knew this talk was coming. She had sensed it a mile away. She thought she knew her sisters well, so it wasn't hard for her to figure out that Nino wanted something from her. When she suddenly walked into her room this morning, Ichika knew she had been right on the money.

Why couldn't she have been wrong?

"You look good," Ichika said, smiling as always. She was of course referring to Nino's new school uniform. Ichika was in hers too. Only Itsuki's hadn't come in yet, so she was going to have to wear their old school uniform for today.

Nino didn't answer for a moment. She looked a bit miffed by the state of Ichika's room, though. It was a total mess. For someone like her, it was terribly annoying and even a bit uncomfortable. But she ignored it for today.

"We have to clear the air between us. That, and I'm also here to make sure you don't try to pull off anymore of your dirty tricks from now on."

Now that was just hurtful.

Ichika schooled her features. "I don't know what you mean."

She did. This had been brewing for the last couple of days. Ichika was well aware of this. The only thing she didn't understand was why Nino had waited so long for this conversation. Maybe she had been trying to build up her courage? Or figure out a way to approach her?

"You can stop faking. A lot of annoying stuff is about to happen, so let's clear the air before then. I want to make sure you're serious about this. I was hoping you would try to talk to me first, but I can see now that isn't happening."

And by "annoying stuff," Nino was of course talking about that new tutor of theirs. Nino knew Naruto wouldn't approve, but she wasn't going to just stand by and let some outsider meddle with them either.

Ichika tried to find an escape. She knew it hadn't worked before, but old habits die hard.

"We're going to be late-"

"Then talk. Or we _will _be late."

Ichika frowned. Nino wasn't bluffing. They didn't need to be sisters for Ichika to figure that out. Among the five, Nino probably cared the least about school. Ichika was in the same boat, but she still put the effort now and then.

But fine. If Nino wanted to talk, then they would talk.

"After what you did on Saturday, I don't think you should be trying to act like you're better, Nino."

"Huh?" Nino's face was dismissive. "What are you talking about? We've been through this. I did exactly what I said was going to do. I didn't pull any dirty tricks."

"I-I didn't do anything wrong either."

The crack in her voice gave her up.

Nino knew this too. "I was tired of the lies, that's why I helped you last time. But don't think I'll do that again."

"And what makes you think I even need your help?" Ichika said in return. "I believe I was clear too. I'm serious about my feelings."

Nino looked smug now. "The events speak for themselves. You were only able to confess, and that was with me cornering you. Do you think you can do what I did? Do you think you can get closer to Naruto? Kiss him even?"

The reddening of Ichika's cheeks was the only answer Nino needed.

"Besides, victory is already within my sight." Nino looked even more smug. "You saw what happened last time. He wasn't able to resist me. I just have to set up that situation again, and I'll snare him then and there."

Ichika's blush grew. "N-Nino, that terminology…..."

"What? Is there something wrong with what I said?"

"A-Are you a succubus now? Is that what's happening?"

That's what it felt like.

"A succubus?" Nino thought about it and then grinned. "Well, I don't dislike the title. I think it's perfect given the situation."

Oh no. Ichika was only giving her more traction. And without meaning to! But what could she do to stop Nino at this point?

'She's got her target locked on….'

Nino had her on check. It was embarrassing, but also admirable. But is that what Ichika should be doing? Just be straightforward like Nino?

'A-And k-k-k-kiss….N-Naruto…..?'

The thought alone was enough to make her head spin. Saying she was going to do it, and actually doing it were two separate things.

Nino's eyes danced with mirth. "See~ You can't win, Ichika."

Ichika's shoulders started to shake. Was it in anger? Ichika couldn't be sure. It wasn't an emotion she felt often. She preferred being laid back and friendly. It made it easier to get along with people. But Nino was pushing all her buttons. Most of all, she was questioning Ichika's feelings.

That's not something Ichika was willing to allow.

"F-Fine." She was still blushing, but Ichika pushed through it. "I already said I would be giving this my all. I'm not going to go back on my word. I can promise you that, and you'll regret it."

Ichika expected Nino to be annoyed, or to lash out in some fashion at her. But instead, Nino smiled. It took Ichika by surprise.

"I'm glad." Nino nodded to herself. "If you kept it all bottled up, I'm sure it would have only been painful for you."

'Don't tell me she was…..'

It was just like on Saturday. Ichika had been the one to try and mess with Nino's confession, but instead of punishing her Nino had helped her. And she was doing it again.

Ichika had totally misinterpreted Nino's actions. And after claiming that she knew her sisters well too. How embarrassing.

"Well, I'm glad I was able to confirm your resolve." Nino ran a hand through her hair as she smiled coyly. "But like I said, it won't mean anything. I'm already one step ahead of you."

Ooooooooor maybe not. Now, it looked more like she was totally looking down at her.

Ichika sweatdropped. "You just had to say that, didn't you?"

At least the air wasn't so heavy between them. They may be interested in the same guy, but that was no reason to sever their relationship because of it. That's the last thing Ichika wanted. She was confident Nino didn't want that either.

"That's all I wanted to say." Still smiling, Nino faced the door. "As long as you stick to your word, then-"

"I won't accept it."

Nino and Ichika stopped when the bedroom door was suddenly opened, only it wasn't by Nino.

It was Itsuki, who stood on the other side. An embarrassed Yotsuba and deadpanned Miku were with her.

"T-This isn't what it looks like!" Yotsuba exclaimed, flailing her arms around like a wild animal. "We totally weren't spying on you just now! Promise!"

Miku almost slapped her head against the wall. "Yotsuba…..'

Why was she such a terrible liar?

"Yeah, that's not gonna work," Nino said, sighing. She hadn't seen this coming, but she really should have. They were all nosy.

Itsuki stood her ground. "You're still planning on going through with this nonsense, Nino? And you, Ichika. I thought you were better than this."

Nino turned her sharp gaze on her. "What did you say?"

"You heard me." Itsuki crossed her arms. "Don't you think this has gone long enough? I may have overlooked your actions over the weekend, but enough is enough. It's time to grow up."

Grow up? _Grow up_?

Nino was right in front of Itsuki in an instant, the two glaring at the other.

"You have no say in what I do, Itsuki. So keep your nose out of my business."

Ichika, Miku, and Yotsuba all glanced at one another, now worried. This wasn't like before. It seemed like Itsuki's tolerance level had reached its limit. She was putting her foot down.

And Nino wasn't having it.

"Who I decide to date is my decision," Nino added, some anger bleeding into her voice. "I don't have to consult you for anything."

It was unintended, but some of Nino's inner resentment was coming out too.

Consult her? Yeah, right. Like Itsuki ever did the same with her choices. Or any of the others for that matter. They were always following their own path, doing as they wanted. For once, Nino had decided to do the same. So why was that so wrong?

It wasn't. Nino knew she wasn't wrong about this.

"You know why it's wrong." Itsuki saw things differently. "He's like our big brother. If you do this…..."

It could mess with their whole dynamic. It was one of the few things Itsuki feared in this world. Why? Because she didn't want to lose the safety Naruto presented them with. All of them. He cared about them equally, but a relationship? That would jeopardize everything. Itsuki knew she wasn't being very fair. In a way, she was just substituting her mother with Naruto. Putting that on him was asking too much.

But she couldn't let it go either. Itsuki was willing to be selfish when it came to this. Because…...it wasn't wrong. She was sure of it.

"I've been struggling with my feelings for a while," Nino explained. "I wasn't sure if I should even tell him about how I felt."

'That would have saved me some trouble,' Ichika thought with an internal sigh but kept it to herself. This wasn't about her.

"But I've already come to a decision. This is my romance." Nino smiled softly. "There's no point if I don't find happiness. That's why I'm willing to do anything."

"A-Anything?" Yotsuba squeaked.

"Yes. Confessing probably isn't enough for that idiot. That's why I'm going to kiss him."

'Yikes.' Miku had to turn away. She wished Naruto good luck with that…...no, wait. Bad luck. Yes, bad luck was better. It's what the idiot deserved.

"E-Eh!?" Both Ichika and Itsuki almost shrieked at Nino's declaration while Yotsuba was a blushing mess.

"Y-You really are bold, Nino," Yotsuba said while fiddling with her fingers. She still couldn't believe how far Nino was taking this.

"Like I said, I've been thinking on this for a while now." Nino walked past the shocked Itsuki. "That's why I'm not going to hesitate. Even if I have to knock down the competition."

That last part was meant for Ichika, no doubt about it.

"I still won't let you!" Itsuki shouted, finding her voice again. "This is definitely a mistake. You're making a mistake, Nino! That's why-!"

She wasn't able to say more. She couldn't. Not after Nino turned back to her to slap her on the cheek.

Yes. Slap her. The slap was strong enough to redden Itsuki's cheek, but that was the least of her concerns.

Nino had slapped her. She had actually slapped her. Her own sister.

"N-Nino!" Ichika couldn't believe what she was seeing. Nino would never do this…...so why?

Miku was just as startled. Her normal stoic look was gone, her face displaying a varying amount of emotions. They ranged from disbelief to worry.

Only Yotsuba was able to step in between Nino and Itsuki. "Y-You two! You have to stop this!"

"I'm not the one who thinks they can order other people around," Nino said bitterly. "You're fine going off on your own, but it's suddenly wrong when I do it?"

"Going off…..?" Ichika didn't understand. "What does that mean, Nino? She's not….."

No. Ichika couldn't finish that sentence, because she knew it would just be another lie. Not a willful one this time mind you, but a lie nonetheless. She was already keeping a secret from them, after all.

Itsuki didn't care and didn't hesitate to slap Nino back just as fiercely. "You're just being a kid! Do you think your actions don't have consequences!?"

"_I'm _being a kid…..?" Nino made to slap Itsuki again, but at the last second Miku intervened and stopped her.

"That's enough, you two," she said. "Hitting one another isn't going to solve anything."

"T-That's right!" Yotsuba chimed in. "We should be getting along, not fighting like this! It's what Naruto-sensei would want!"

"It's the only way to talk some sense into an ignorant person!" Itsuki exclaimed.

"Speak for yourself!" Nino shouted back. "I'm not doing anything wrong! You think I need your approval? Don't think too highly of yourself!"

Yotsuba scrambled to say something, anything that would put a stop to this. But she couldn't think of a single thing to say.

Miku was having similar problems. All she could do was stop Nino from slapping Itsuki again, but that proved to not be needed when Nino stormed out of the room.

"Forget it. I don't have to explain myself to you!"

It wasn't like they bothered to talk to her either.

"Ah, Nino!" Ichika was about to run after her, but stopped. Could she really help Nino right now? With everything else that was happening?

'Doubting myself like this…..'

She really was the worst.

Itsuki didn't say another word. She simply walked out after Nino had left the apartment. This only left Ichika, Miku, and Yotsuba, the trio unsure of what to do about this situation.

And so, this was how the first day of their new school lives started.

* * *

"_I'm gone for one weekend, and you start dating? Without telling me about it? How do you think that makes me feel? I thought we were friends!"_

"Look, Asagi, I don't know what that idiot told you, but that's not how things are. And why are you even calling me at eight in the morning!?"

It was Monday, and Naruto wanted to sleep in. After dealing with so much homework last night, it's what he deserved.

"_This is the only time I can talk. Unlike you, I actually have to go outside for my education."_

"Yeah, and you sound soooooo much happier than me. I totally envy you right now."

Annoyance aside, Naruto still got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. He didn't feel like cooking, so ramen it was. It was more delicious than anything he could make anyway.

"_Whatever. Don't change the subject. I want details. Who's the girl? Where did you meet her? She's not twelve, right?"_

Okay, what?

"I think you got me confused with Ken," Naruto said in a dry tone.

"_I just have to make sure you don't go down the wrong path. We already got Ken for that."_

"Says the girl who takes pleasure in hitting him."

"_It's not pleasure, dumbass!" _Oh wow, he could just see her blush through the phone. _"You and I both know he deserves it sometimes!"_

"All I know is that you start to smile when you hit him. It's cool. We all have our secrets."

"_I'm hanging up now."_

And that's how you do it. Easy as lemon pie…..wait, was that the right phrase? Or was he butchering it?

'Probably butchering it.'

Whatever, he didn't care enough to find out.

"_I'll grill you later. I got class anyway."_

So she was still gonna bug him about it? How fun.

"I'm hanging up on you."

"_What-"_

And so, he hung up. He always kept his word.

Putting that mild annoyance aside, Naruto reached for one of the drawers where he kept his precious ramen. He was going to have to restock soon. He made sure to never hit the danger zone, i.e. he always had more than eight ramen cups in his kitchen at a time. It just made him feel safer.

Yes, safer. Shut up.

Naruto was about to start preparing his five star meal when the doorbell rang.

Now this was strange. The only visitors he ever got were either Ken or Asagi, but they were busy. And the quintuplets started their new school today, so it couldn't be them either.

Hmm. Ninja mode, activated.

'Hehehe, ninja mode.'

He cracked himself up sometimes.

But before he could open the door, or ask who it was, or anything, the door opened and an angry Nino stormed inside.

Naruto's face turned blank.

"You know, it really defeats the purpose of knocking when you just let yourself in."

Wait, no. That didn't really mater. The bigger question was this.

"What are you doing here, Nino? You have school!"

"Shut up." The girl plopped herself down next to the small round table, her face expressing just how annoyed she was right now. "I didn't come here to get more lip from you."

Okay then. Angry Nino had appeared. It was time to trudge lightly.

After closing and locking his door again, Naruto sat next to the fuming Nino. He absently noted that she was in her new uniform. It looked good on her.

"So are you gonna tell me why you're angry?"

The last time he saw her she had been all sunshines and rainbows. She had also been trying to feed him, in front of everyone else, but that was beside the point.

"Don't wanna talk about it."

There went that approach.

"You know you can't stay here, right? You have school-"

"I'm not going to school today."

Naruto's lips thinned. "What?"

"Are you deaf?" Nino rested her head on the table. "I said I'm not going to school today. I came here because I need a place to hide."

And think.

"You can't do that, Nino."

Naruto knew saying that was only going to set the girl off even more, but he didn't care. He needed to put his foot down.

And sure enough, Nino raised her head and turned her eyes on him. They were darker than usual, a sign that she was not pleased.

"And why can't I?"

"First of all, you have to go to school."

"You hate school."

She wasn't even going to let him finish.

Naruto sighed. "Yes, I hate school. But I still did it. I'm still doing it." Even though he'd rather not. "There's also the fact that you need it more than I do. You transferred because you failed your last exam. Don't tell me you forgot about that. Now that you have a fresh start and a new tutor, you should be making sure you don't fail again."

"Like I told you, we don't need a tutor!" Nino raised her voice a little, her anger rising up again. "Not that it matters anyway. I'm sure Itsuki won't have a problem getting chummy with him."

Itsuki? Why was Nino singling her out?

'The two must have had a fight.'

It was the only conclusion Naruto could arrive at. But this was surprising. Itsuki and Nino usually got along. It was Nino and Miku that were like oil and water.

"What happened-"

Naruto wasn't able to get his question out before Nino practically threw herself at him. The two fell back to the floor, practically in the same position they had been a couple of days ago.

'Not this again.'

Unlike before, Naruto was calm. Was it because he was used to Nino's behavior? Not exactly.

Nino either didn't notice or didn't care as she looked down at him. "I don't want to repeat myself a third time. Instead of talking about boring stuff, we should pick up where we left off."

Nino hadn't been bluffing with Ichika. She already knew what she had to do to win. It was easy for her.

But as she leaned in for Naruto's lips, Naruto grabbed her by the wrist and pushed her back. Nino stared back at him, confused.

"No."

His voice was steady. Nino realized the difference between this Naruto and the one from before. He wasn't phased by her actions in the slightest.

"You're not thinking clearly, Nino," Naruto said. "You're only doing this to take your mind off what's troubling you."

And he wasn't going to partake in her game.

"You….."

Nino looked like someone had just punched her in the gut. It felt like that too. No, it was more painful than that.

"Forget it."

Nino quickly got off him and ran out the apartment, not able to face the blond right now.

Naruto didn't go after her. It was the first time he had seen Nino look like that since her mother's death. It was a face he had been hoping she would never make again. It paralyzed him.

'Fuck.'

So the only thing he could do was curse.

* * *

Uesugi Fuutarou was on a mission. It was probably the most important mission in his seventeen year old life so far.

And he was already close to screwing it up.

For you see, earlier today he had the misfortune of running into the new girl at school. She had seemed troubled about something. Not that Fuutarou had cared all that much. Or at all. His studies were far more important than worrying about some random girl.

Sadly, this same girl had transferred into his class…...and was apparently the one he was supposed to tutor as part of his new job. His precious little sister had called him to tell him about this, but only after he had dismissed her rather harshly.

But it wasn't his fault! They had bumped into one another at the cafeteria. She seemed to be in a bad mood about something, but after catching one glimpse at his last quiz she had cheered up a little, just enough to ask him for help with her studies.

…...his studies were important, but he really should have said yes instead of rejecting her outright. Why? Because she was the ticket to getting his family out of debt.

'Let me just apologize dammit.'

That's why he was following her right now. It could be considered stalking, but it wasn't really! He had a job to do, so following her to her home was only natural.

Okay, that sounded way better in his head. Promise.

And so here he was, following this girl from street to street. Fuutarou would have already tried to apologize, but unfortunately she wasn't alone. There were two other girls with her, and approaching her when there were other people would just be awkward. Well, it was going to be awkward regardless, but Fuutarou didn't want to deal with other people.

Most of them were too annoying and simple-minded. Yeah, he didn't have any friends. But so what? He didn't need something like friendship. It was only a distraction.

"Are you having fun?"

Fuutarou's heart nearly stopped when one of the other two girls approached him out of nowhere. He was sure he was well hidden behind the sign of the convenience store the girls had stopped by, but he was spotted real fast.

"Fun?" Fuutarou coughed into his hand and stood straight. "Yeah, something like that."

"Oh, I see. So you have fun staring at high school girls. I understand."

Did she really?

"L-Look, just don't tell your friend Itsuki-chan about this, okay?" For some odd reason, Fuutarou noticed something familiar about this girl. Not that he had ever met her before. She wore their school uniform, but it wasn't like Fuutarou knew any other student. Not even those in his class.

He was secretly proud of that fact.

"I suppose." She pushed some of her hair out of her eyes and made to walk away but not before giving him some parting words. "She's not my friend, though."

"..."

Now, how was he supposed to take that?

"Miku, come on! We gotta get home!" The third girl, who were a green ribbon, waved to Miku while Itsuki stood next to her without saying a word.

Fuutarou watched her go, still trying to process that last comment. In the end, he decided it wasn't worth it and quickly continued with his stalk-tracking.

Yes, tracking. Definitely tracking.

Fuutarou mentally sighed. He just knew this was going to be a long day.

* * *

'Holy shit, she's rich!'

Fuutarou couldn't help but gawk at the apartment complex Itsuki and the other two had arrived at. He had already guessed that Itsuki had to be loaded, her lunch being a big giveaway, but this was just too much.

'No wonder the pay is so well.'

Her background was the exact opposite of his.

Shaking his head, Fuutarou decided to push that aside and focus on the mission. Itsuki was already walking inside, which was bad for him. He wanted to smooth things out between them before their tutoring sessions began, but those two were still with her!

'Give it a rest already!'

They were in the way, and they didn't even realize it.

He was so enthralled in his thoughts that Fuutarou didn't notice the shadow sneaking up on him from behind.

* * *

"Come on, Itsuki!" Yotsuba was saying as they stopped by the main entrance. "You gotta cheer up!"

They had even stopped at a convenience store to buy Itsuki a snack, but not even that had helped.

"I'm not in the mood right now." Itsuki was frowning. She appreciated what Yotsuba was trying to do, really, but she wasn't in the mood for it. There wasn't a single crack to be exploited in her frustration. Today had just not been her day. First it was the stuff with Nino, and then that guy from school, that insensitive b-word, had insulted her. And after only knowing each other for a few minutes no less!

'To think I actually complimented him too…..'

The reminder was enough to make Itsuki rage more. It was a distraction from her current problem with Nino, but it wasn't exactly better.

Why did all of this have to happen today? Their new tutor was coming over, and here she was in a foul mood.

Yotsuba was once again stumped. She had been trying all day to get Itsuki to feel better but to no avail. Worse still, Nino hadn't come to school. And Ichika hadn't been much help through all of this. It was like she had been lost in her own little world all day. She had even ditched them after school, saying she had something she needed to do.

Everything was so infuriating right now!

Miku was silent. Unlike Yotsuba, she knew that none of this was going to help Itsuki. Only bringing her and Nino together could resolve this. Annoyingly, Nino had been absent all day, and texting her wasn't working either. That's why Miku was thinking of a new strategy.

"Let's just get ready for our study session today," Itsuki said as she took a step toward the entrance. As much as it pained her, they would have to make do without Nino and Ichika for today.

"W-Wait, what!? Hey, let me go!"

The trio paused and watched as how two figures came out from the bushes in front of the building. One was a familiar blond to them, and the other only Itsuki and Miku recognized.

"Naruto-sensei!" Yotsuba cried out, surprised to see him here. And in the bushes no less.

Miku was more focused on the fact that Naruto had the boy from earlier pinned to the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"This guy was following you three," Naruto said, his eyes narrowed. "Are you a stalker!? Start talking, or that arm is coming off!"

Yotsuba sweatdropped. "I-I think that's a bit too much….."

It really was!

Miku and Itsuki just watched out of morbid curiosity.

Fuutarou's whole body was in pain. How the hell did this guy have such a strong grip? Or was he just that weak? Wait, no. Forget that. He needed to answer before he lost an arm!

"I'm not a stalker, alright!" he shouted. "I'm here on business! I swear!"

Business?

Naruto didn't believe him. "Then why were you following these girls?"

"I'm their new tutor goddammit!"

Silence.

Naruto blinked as his brain processed those words.

More silence.

The blond then tilted his head.

"Come again?"

* * *

**Fuutarou's grand introduction is finally here. After five chapters, it finally happened. Yay.**

**There were actually a lot more things I wanted to add (including a Naruto/Ichika scene), but this chapter was bloated enough as it is. I'm satisfied with getting to this part at least.**

**But yeah, guess what happens next. Or not. But definitely guess.**

**Till next time.**


	7. Let's Study! or not

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 6:  
****Let's Study!….or not**

Fifteen year old Ichika had gone through a big transformation as of late. For one thing, her hair was no longer the same as the rest of her sisters'. It made her stand out more, not that it really mattered to her all that much. Having long hair had just become bothersome for her. The others said it suited her, so that was a plus.

Anyway, her looks aside, Ichika had a big problem to face. Some wouldn't see it that way, but to her it most certainly was a problem. That's why she had to come to the park today after school.

'Why does this keep happening?'

Ichika mentally sighed. It really was bothersome to face the same situation over and over again. She wasn't trying to come off as disrespectful, but those were her honest thoughts.

'Well, it's not like they can understand.'

They didn't know her. That's why she shouldn't begrudge them for not understanding her situation.

"N-Nakano-san!"

Ichika turned to the newcomer and plastered another fake smile on her face. It was a boy from her class. He was the reason why she was here today. In simple terms, it's because he had asked her out yesterday. Today was meant for her to give him her official response, but she could have done so the moment he had confessed.

"I'm flattered, but I'm not interested."

It was a resounding no.

Ichika didn't enjoy doing this. It was the fourth guy in two months that she had to reject. She didn't understand why so many guys had taken a sudden interest in her. She didn't think she was doing anything special to draw attention to herself.

So why?

The dejected look on her classmate's face didn't help her feel any better. It never did. He probably wouldn't talk to her again. None of the other guys had. While it did hurt, Ichika knew there was nothing she could do about it.

"Looks rough."

Ichika nearly had a heart attack when Naruto suddenly appeared behind her, giving her one of his usual laid back grins.

"Y-You…..!"

"Oh, did I startle you?"

Ichika glared at him. "What do you think!?"

So that was a yes then.

Naruto laughed. Unlike Ichika with her school uniform, the blond was in casual clothes. A pair of jeans and a green long-sleeved shirt. It was one of the perks of no longer being in school.

The jerk.

"Hahaha, my bad. I thought for sure you heard me."

Yeah, right. Ichika knew he had done it on purpose. It was his trickster nature at play. But, as much as she loathed to admit it, Ichika could never get him back. He always saw her coming before she could catch him off guard.

It was the worst.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him. Ichika was sure she hadn't told him about this. Or about any of the other guys who had confessed to her.

Naruto guided her to one of the nearby vending machines in the park.

"Miku told me to come. To make sure things didn't turn violent," he explained as he inserted some money into the machine.

Ichika's eyes softened a little. So Miku was watching out for her. Sure enough, the second guy she had rejected had reacted rather…..poorly after she turned him down. Thanks to the training Naruto had given her, she had managed to slip away before he had a chance to do anything. It was still something she wanted to avoid repeating.

"But man, look at you." Naruto turned to her with another grin. "Already getting asked out. So grown up."

Was that supposed to be a joke?

"You know it's not fun for me, right?"

Naruto shrugged as he handed her a drink from the vending machine.

"I wouldn't know. I've never been in your shoes before."

Ichika looked at the drink and nearly blanched.

It was a Matcha Soda. Only Miku could enjoy something like this.

'Heaven only knows why.'

It just tasted so….._weird_.

"But it can't be so bad," Naruto said after some silence, taking a sip from his drink. "Being honest is better than dragging things out, right? Less pain for everyone involved."

Ichika let out a sigh. "It's not about that. I just don't know anything about romance."

It was still an alien concept for her. Sure, she didn't mind cracking the occasional joke, or even some physical teasing. But an actual relationship? Ichika couldn't fathom that.

Especially when she couldn't even understand her own feelings.

Naruto looked amused.

"I think that goes for everyone your age."

Or even those older. At the very least, Naruto didn't understand romance either. And he probably never would. Now that he was stuck here, the chances of him experiencing it were close to zero.

Ichika gained a sly smile and said, "Isn't this the part where the _cool _brother steps up and explains the situation to the helpless sister, hm?"

Naruto deadpanned before flicking her on the forehead, getting a yelp from her.

"W-What?" Ichika rubbed her forehead. "That hurt!"

"I know."

"H'mph, you lack tact!" Ichika stuck her tongue out. "Is that why you're still single, hm~"

"Something like that, yeah." Instead of looking annoyed by her words, Naruto turned somber. This only surprised Ichika, who felt her throat go dry. "I probably don't deserve romance."

What?

"How can you say that?" Ichika asked softly, unable to comprehend why Naruto of all people would be saying that.

"Hm, I guess 'deserve' wasn't the right word." Naruto took a second to reconsider. "I guess it's more like…..I probably won't ever be able to find it."

Ichika still didn't understand. "What's that supposed to mean? Romance can happen for everyone, you know!"

Even someone like her could understand that. Because…..as foreign as romance was to her, she did know what it was like to experience those feelings. She just had no idea what to do with them, or how people got the bravery to express them.

"Circumstances are different for everyone."

"What kind of circumstances could make someone say that?"

Naruto couldn't answer that. "It's not important, alright? Besides, this is about you. Not me."

Ichika wasn't satisfied with that. "You're still keeping stuff from us, aren't you?"

But of course he was. Ichika still vividly remembered that day at the hospital, where Naruto and her mother had gotten into some kind of argument. She had made the others come with her, because she was curious about what was happening with this mysterious person. In the end, they hadn't been able to hear much of anything. Only seen what came of it, and that was a mentally broken Naruto.

'What is he hiding?'

That's all Ichika could ask herself.

"Anyway, I'm just glad you didn't need my help." Naruto put on another smile and ruffled her hair. "And if you do decide to date someone, make sure you tell us. We gotta make sure he's got our approval, alright?"

Especially from Nino. If someone wanted to date one of her precious sisters, then Nino would make sure they were qualified. She could be brutal like that.

It was meant to be a quick joke, but Ichika didn't laugh. Instead, she swallowed her fear to open up a little.

"Y-You shouldn't think like that. B-Because…."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Are you still on that? There's no reason for you to worry."

It was his problem. Not hers.

This just made Ichika angry. He was always worried about them, but they couldn't do the same for him? What kind of nonsense was that? She didn't like it, nor could she just stand idly either.

"Just listen to me, idiot."

Her earlier hesitation was gone, and it made Naruto look at her with surprise.

Not waiting for a response, Ichika stepped closer to him and poked the blond on the chest to emphasize her point.

"I don't know what kind of troubles you've been in, or even what's troubling you now." Mostly because he refused to talk about himself, but that was beside the point right now. "But there is no such thing as someone who can't find love. Even for you, I'm sure there is someone out there for you. Y-You just have to wait to find her."

Ichika started to lose her nerve by the end, but she fought through it. She was sure she was blushing too, but that didn't matter. She was fired up, and she wasn't about to let Naruto feel down about himself. She couldn't be direct, but she would still try to get her point across with what little she could say.

Naruto was still surprised. He never expected Ichika to be like this on the subject. Nino, sure. But Ichika?

'She's growing up, after all.'

Funny. He was getting advice from a girl younger than him. He was pathetic, huh?

"Ahahaha, you're pretty amazing, huh?"

"H-Huh?" Ichika didn't know what to say, and only blushed further at the sudden compliment. "W-What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to make fun of me? This big sister won't allow it!"

Naruto almost snorted. First, he was the reliable brother, and now she was treating him like the brother that needed to be looked after.

Make up your mind, Ichika.

Ichika puffed out her cheeks. "You just thought something bad about me, didn't you?"

Pfft, _of course not_.

"I should flick your forehead this time, Naruto-kun."

"Yes, if you can."

"You're so mean. You need to work better on your manners. Treating a lady like this…..."

"A lady? I don't see one. Do you?"

"Aaaahh, you make me so frustrated!"

"Then I guess I'm doing my job, huh."

Not as just some kind of protective bodyguard, but also as a brother.

The pair stood around arguing about silly stuff for a few more minutes before they decided to go and get something to eat. It wasn't very fun at first, but Ichika ended up enjoying herself that day.

* * *

'That day…..'

Ichika had no idea why she was suddenly remembering that day, especially now when she was about to start her audition for a new role that had been recommended to her.

But isn't that how it always was? When she was in a bind, recalling fun moments like that day always put her at ease. It calmed her nerves, to know that she had someone like Naruto to rely on. It was embarrassing, but she couldn't help it.

'But…..things aren't that simple anymore.'

Perhaps that was her one regret. The bond between her and the others had always been strong, but ever since their mother's death cracks had started to form. Now, those cracks were finally starting to show themselves. Thankfully Ichika and Nino had been able to come to an understanding, mostly because of Nino's actions. But it had happened, and their relationship remained intact.

Now, it was Nino and Itsuki who were at odds. Unlike last time, Ichika didn't have Nino to fall back on. She wasn't the solution to the problem.

'But here I am, working instead of being there for them…..'

It was another crossroad for her. Ichika didn't know if she was making a mistake, or if focusing on her career was the right thing to do at this point in her life. She only knew that her heart had led her here.

'For better or for worse.'

Besides, they had Naruto. There was no way he was going to leave the situation as it was. Ichika was certain of that.

"Nakano Ichika, you're up next!"

Ichika looked up and smiled. But was it fake? She didn't know. She just knew that she was taking her first steps toward her future.

So maybe it wasn't fake, after all.

* * *

"Ahahaha, you're not messing with me, right? This isn't some kind of prank that you're all in, right? Because I'll be okay with it if you say it is. Yep, yep! We can all laugh about it together. Do you see this face? This face is ready to laugh when you are!"

"Uwah, I think Uesugi-san is broken…."

"Your face probably isn't helping him cope, Yotsuba."

"Say what!? How can you say that, Naruto-sensei! Making fun of someone's face is rude!"

"It wasn't a joke."

"That makes it worse!"

Fuutarou wasn't as laid back as Naruto and Yotsuba were about the situation.

"Will you two focus!?"

The three of them were now in the quintuplet's apartment. After clearing up the misunderstanding outside, Fuutarou had tried to make amends with Itsuki while also stopping himself from going off on Naruto.

Stupid blond brute. Fuutarou was lucky his arm wasn't permanently broken. The hospital bill would kill him!

Ultimately, his big important mission had ended in failure. Like, complete failure. Itsuki hadn't bothered to listen to a word he was saying and barricaded herself in her room. Miku had followed suit, declaring that she had no interest in studying.

Which led to the present, where Naruto, Yotsuba, and Fuutarou stood around in the living room with no idea of what to do next.

"It's not all bad." Naruto tried to be positive about the situation. "You got Yotsuba right here! She's willing to start learning."

Said girl sprung into a mock salute. "Aye, aye!"

That did settle Fuutarou's mood…..if only a little. He still needed more information, though.

"Alright, run this by me again. You're all quintuplets, and I'm supposed to tutor all five of you?"

"That's the gist of it, yeah." Naruto went to the fridge for something to drink. "Didn't their father tell you about this?"

"It wasn't in the job description."

Either that, or his cute little sister had failed to mention it. But….no, no. There was no way he was going to doubt his precious sister. She was too pure for something like that.

"Hm."

Had the man done this on purpose? Naruto wouldn't put it past him. But why?

"And anyway, there are only three here!" Fuutarou crossed his arms. "Where are the remaining two?"

"Ah…." Yotsuba poked her fingers together. "W-Well, it's better to think that Nino won't be joining us today."

Naruto nearly tripped at this, which Fuutarou ignored.

"And the other?"

Yotsuba started to chuckle, but it was forced. "I-I have no idea where Ichika is….."

She didn't know where Nino was either.

Naruto almost tripped again.

Fuutarou looked like he had just been run over. That's how painful the situation felt anyway.

"S-So two of your sisters are missing, and the other two don't want anything to do with me. Did I get that right?"

Yotsuba slowly nodded.

Fuutarou was ready to collapse and curse whatever deity was out there. "It's only my first day! Why is all of this happening!?"

He needed that money dammit! Finding another job that paid this well was sure to be impossible!

"L-Let's stay positive here," Naruto said as he joined them with a glass of orange juice in hand. He looked a bit nervous about something, which only made Fuutarou suspicious. "We just have to get Itsuki and Miku to agree to come out of their rooms. We can deal with Nino and Ichika later."

"Ah, that's right!" Yotsuba perked up. "We have Naruto-sensei with us. They'll make sure to listen to him!"

Naruto wasn't sure about that. Itsuki wasn't acting like herself. Ideally, dealing with Miku would be easier. She was just being stubborn about the situation, doubting herself like Ichika always did. It might take some time, but Naruto was confident that she would see that studying and passing wasn't a forgone conclusion for her.

Fuutarou just needed to prove himself as a competent tutor.

'The problem here is Itsuki…..'

They needed to deal with her first.

Naruto came to a decision. "Let's split up. Yotsuba, take Fuutarou to Miku's room. Try to coax her out however you can. I'll handle Itsuki."

Fuutarou didn't see a problem with that. The blond seemed to be closer to the sisters. If he was trying to help, Fuutarou would take it.

He was still pissed about earlier, though.

"I'm on it!" Yotsuba didn't waste anytime dragging Fuutarou upstairs with her. "Miku is actually the smartest one, so I'm sure you'll get along with her just fine!"

She said that, but Fuutarou wasn't optimistic about the situation.

Naruto watched them go before turning his focus to Itsuki's door. It was the first one on the second floor.

'How am I going to tackle this?'

He needed a better outcome than what happened with Nino, that's for sure.

Naruto recalled his earlier conversation with Ichika.

* * *

"_What's going on, Ichika? Why did you call me out here?"_

_Naruto didn't mean to sound as impatient as he did, but there was too much stuff going on inside his head for him to notice._

_Ichika didn't seem to mind, sporting a resigned smile._

"_Not even a hello? Or a 'wow, you look really cute'? You're totally making this big sister sad, Naruto-kun."_

_Just like with Nino earlier, Naruto was treated to Ichika in her new school uniform. And like with Nino, Naruto admitted that the girl looked good. If it were any other time, the blond's gaze might have even lingered for a few more moments._

_This wasn't one of those times._

"_Did you need something? Shouldn't you be getting ready for you new tutor today?"_

_They weren't walking in the direction of her apartment, which made Naruto confused._

"_Not even a budge, huh?" Ichika hid her disappointment. "Is something troubling you? You're not usually this short-tempered."_

_Naruto didn't think he was angry. Just…..confused. Not just with Ichika._

"_Something unfortunate happened this morning, and I'm trying to see if I can fix it."_

"_Oh really?" Ichika hummed. "That's funny, because I was going to ask you to do something along those same lines."_

_Naruto eyed her. "Does it have to do with Nino?"_

_Ichika didn't bother to hide her surprise. "How did you know?"_

"_She came to my apartment this morning, angry about something."_

_She had also tried to come on to him, which resulted in him denying her advances. But he wasn't going to share that with Ichika._

"_I should have known." Ichika sighed. "She was bound to come to your place first. I'm guessing she's not there anymore?"_

"_No." She wasn't answering any of his calls either._

"_So she's really being an idiot about this." Ichika shook her head. "No, maybe we're the idiots….."_

_Naruto stopped walking, which made Ichika stop as well._

"_What happened?"_

_He guessed it involved Itsuki, but beyond that he didn't have a clue._

_Ichika was more than happy to fill him in, and after she did Naruto was left feeling guilty._

'_So it's because of me.'_

_He should have guessed something like this would happen. Out of the five, Itsuki had been the most attached to their mother. After her death, it was Itsuki who had been affected the most. Naruto had done everything he could to make sure her pain didn't escalate further. He didn't know if he had succeeded in that or not._

_Ichika could guess what he was thinking. "Are you blaming yourself for this?"_

"_Yes. Because it's my fault."_

"_It's not."_

"_How can you say that?"_

"_Because." Ichika blushed. "We're the ones who decided this. Not you. Itsuki has to realize that."_

_Naruto felt second-hand embarrassment but brushed it aside. "So what? Are you with Nino on this?"_

"_I confessed, didn't I?"_

_Naruto had no proper response to that._

"_But I can understand where Itsuki is coming from as well," Ichika admitted. She wasn't like Nino. She had been thriving on the status-quo for a long time now. It was only because Nino had decided to kickstart this whole thing that the situation had developed for her._

_Itsuki was probably thinking the same thing. She didn't want things to change, and if Naruto accepted either her or Nino, things were definitely going to change. There was no denying that._

_Change was scary. It brought uncertainty, which was a feeling no one wanted to experience. Itsuki was trying to avoid that._

_But at the same time, Ichika was making strives in order to fix that. To not let the fear overwhelm her. Itsuki needed to learn that as well._

"_It sounds like making everyone happy is almost impossible," Naruto said, sighing after thinking about the situation again._

_Ichika smiled. "Almost. If anyone can fix it, I'm sure you can."_

"_I appreciate the vote of confidence, but….."_

"_I'm just speaking from the heart. I've been told it goes a long way to helping a situation."  
_

"_Ichika….." For a moment, Naruto was left feeling stunned. It was almost like the girl was shining, something that had been missing before. He didn't know if something else had happened to her, but in that moment Naruto couldn't help but think she was stunning._

"_Well, I may also just be selfish by leaving this to you," Ichika said, smiling at her own words. "But I genuinely think there are only things you can do, which are impossible for me to replicate."_

_What she could do for Itsuki and Nino….._

'_Nothing.'_

_There was nothing she could do. Because she was certain she was also being selfish when it came to following her desires, which would only put her at odds with Itsuki and even Nino._

"Well, _I'll be looking for positive results when I come back~"_

_Come back?_

"_Wait, where are you-"_

"_I have an audition to get to!" Ichika winked at him before taking off down the street. "Tell our tutor I'm sorry for not coming in today!"_

_Or ever._

"_Ah-!"_

_Naruto wanted to tell her to come back, but he stopped himself. Why? Well, because of what he said earlier. About being happy with her newfound dedication. If he stopped her, wouldn't that make him a hypocrite?_

'_Ugh, to hell with it. I should focus on Nino and Itsuki first. I can find a compromise with Ichika later.'_

_Yes, that was a good plan._

_Wasn't it?_

* * *

Naruto still didn't know if he was making the right choice, but whatever. One problem at a time. First, he needed to get Itsuki to calm down. After that, he would have to find Nino. He had been hoping the girl would show up by now, but clearly she had different plans.

He placed the orange juice on the table before making his way up the stairs to Itsuki's room. He was only able to knock on the door once before the door opened and he was pulled in before he had a chance to say anything.

Fuutarou and Yotsuba were left standing out in the hall wondering what they had just witnessed.

"S-Such power," Yotsuba said with a look of awe.

Fuutarou could only shake his head. He was happy Yotsuba was cooperating with him, but why did she have to be such an airhead?

* * *

"Kneel, right there."

Of all things Naruto expected Itsuki to say, this was not it. He still complied, if only to get her more warmed up for their conversation.

Itsuki stood before him, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. She was in her casual wear. Or what she considered casual anyway.

"I didn't think you were going to show up today."

"Why wouldn't I?" Naruto frowned. "I promised your dad that I would make sure everything went well."

A promise that he was failing to keep, but let's not focus on that.

"First of all, we don't need _that _tutor!" There was a strong distaste in her voice that it caught Naruto off guard. "He's the same age as us! Isn't there anyone that's more qualified?"

"He's the best in his school," Naruto said in return. "And this only came about because nothing else was working."

It was unorthodox, but if it worked there was no reason to complain. Naruto wasn't going to let Fuutarou not have a shot here. He deserved that much at least.

"Why are you so against him anyway?" Naruto had to ask. "Do you know him?"

Itsuki huffed. "It doesn't matter. We don't need him. End of story."

'God, she sounds just like Nino…..'

It was frightening, how similar these sisters could be sometimes. If Naruto wasn't so used to it, he might have questioned if he was talking to Itsuki or Nino right now.

"You don't know that. How can you say that without giving him a chance?"

"Because…..!"

Because she was being stubborn? Because her pride was on the line? After being insulted, Itsuki didn't want to be helped. She didn't want to appear like more of a dunce than she already had. She knew she was probably coming off as unreasonable, but her annoyance wouldn't let her come clean.

Naruto suspected something like that. "Are you going to come outside and accept his help? Please? It's not going to kill you."

If anything, it might even benefit her! Totally a win-win situation.

Itsuki was silent before turning away from him. "Is that all you have to say?"

It wasn't.

"I don't think we should talk about that right now-"

Trying to get her to cooperate was his only objective here.

"No, we should. I need to know." Itsuki lowered her heard. "They both confessed to you, but you haven't given them an answer. Is it because you don't feel the same way? What's your plan?"

She wasn't holding back, huh. She was cutting straight to the heart of the matter. And without answering her, she probably wouldn't come out.

So be it.

"I don't know, okay?" Naruto finally said it. There it was, the big truth. "I don't know. I don't know what to feel. I don't know what I'm supposed to say. I don't even know how to act around them. This wasn't how it was supposed to go."

Romance. Naruto had already been sure it would never happen to him. He was from a different dimension for god's sake. His background was completely different from anyone here. No one could possibly understand, or even come to accept him if they learned the truth. That's why he was sure any relationship would ultimately fail, so trying to get in one was pointless.

But Nino and Ichika. They both claimed otherwise, that they could accept him no matter what.

And it gave Naruto hope. Was it real, though? Or just a fake hope that he was trying to convince himself of? If he did open himself up…..would it really allow him to connect to someone else? To finally be honest after so many years?

Naruto was afraid. He didn't want to scare either of them away, which could very well happened if he accepted their feelings.

That hope still remained, though. Which is why he was stuck. Those two sides were clashing, and it left him like this. He didn't know what to do.

Hayato's words came back to him, about how the heart could be irrational. Naruto was seeing how true that was. Even though he knew that he shouldn't risk it, that keeping the status quo was definitely for the best, he still hesitated.

Naruto hated this.

"You know that's not going to cut it, right? You have to do something." Itsuki clenched her fists. "If you're this unsure, then rejecting them is the answer."

Naruto stared at her, his face unsettled. "That….."

"Just think about it. If you t-truly felt the same way they did, then there would be no hesitation. I-It should be obvious. Instead of giving them hope, you should be honest about it. A-And reject them."

Those were the harshest words Itsuki had ever said in her entire life. It wasn't just from the words themselves, but the sentiment behind them.

Itsuki was betraying her sisters. She knew she was doing it, but she didn't stop herself from saying those words anyway. She still believed this was the right thing to do. It had to be. Having Naruto love one of them more than the others…...it would only lead to sadness. She was sure of it. This had to be the right answer, the one where everyone remained happy like they had been so far.

"_Then why did you stutter?"_

Itsuki ignored the question.

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but the words never came out. He was drawing a blank.

How could he respond to that?

Itsuki only turned to look at him again when she heard him stand up.

"Naruto-"

"I need to go."

Almost like he was running away, Naruto marched out of the girl's room. But he needed to think. Alone.

Regret started to fill Itsuki's heart. Where certainty had once been her foundation, now doubt started to take its place. One look at Naruto's face spelled it out for her.

'What did I…..'

What did she just do?

It took some effort from Itsuki's part to run after him, but by the time she got to the hallway outside, Naruto was already out the door.

"Naruto-sensei!" Yotsuba and Fuutarou were out in the hall too, having just barely caught Naruto's retreating form.

It was then that Itsuki found herself on a receiving glare from Yotsuba.

_From Yotsuba._

"What did you do!?"

"I….." Itsuki could say nothing, too stunned by Yotsuba's glare to form a coherent response.

Even Fuutarou looked surprised. From what he had seen of the girl, she was all sunshines and rainbows. So this was really surprising.

Yotsuba's glare lasted only for a second longer before she took off running down the stairs and then for the door. It was only for a split second, but Itsuki was certain that she saw Yotsuba crying.

What had she done?

Fuutarou looked at her, unsure of what to say. But as it turned out, he didn't need to say anything as Itsuki retreated back into her room without a word. Her face was in shock, mostly as a result of her own actions.

It was Miku who stepped out after, her face blank.

Fuutarou glanced at her. "So you came out."

She had turned him away earlier, rather harshly too, but now she came out of her own free will.

Fickle girl.

"You can't help us," Miku said bluntly. "You just saw the mess we're in. Do you truly think that you can get involved in that?"

He wasn't supposed to. He was just a tutor. His job didn't require him getting personally involved with them or their problems. Unfortunately, Fuutarou realized that it wasn't going to be that simple. If he wanted to get paid, then he probably needed to do something about all of this.

T'ch, dammit. It was only his first day, and he wanted to tear his hair out. He was already at failure's door, and he hadn't even begun tutoring anyone yet.

In face of all this, Fuutarou had only one question.

What the hell was he going to do?

* * *

**Things started out so well, but now everyone is divided. And poor Fuutarou is stuck in the middle. Will he step up? Run away? Why bother asking when the answer is obvious?**

**Or is it?**

**So many easy questions.**

**Anyway, that's all from me.**

**Till next time.**


	8. Hypocrite

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 7:  
****Hypocrite**

Hypocrisy.

It was a concept that was tied heavily to human nature. Everyone was a hypocrite at one point or another. It didn't matter if it dealt with something big or small. Everyone was a part of this phenomenon. People were fully aware of this, but that didn't seem to stop it from occurring. Why? Because of the reasons behind it. There could be many reasons behind hypocrisy, some better than others. But regardless, it didn't change the fact that humans were hypocritical creatures.

It was unavoidable. It was par for the course, so to speak. It was part of the human experience.

Naruto was no exception to this. It's what his main problem was at the moment in fact. He was being a hypocrite. He preached to the quints to never settle, to not let the status quo be their priority. To take the first steps to changing themselves, for the future that awaited them. It's what he had been trying to convince Nino of for sometime now. But it had never worked.

The fact that she was off on her own proved that. Her argument with Itsuki proved it only further.

Maybe it was because she saw through him. That there was a lack of conviction in his words. He couldn't walk the walk, as it were. After all, he too was afraid of being honest. He was too afraid to come clean to the people who mattered the most to him. To tell them about his past, about his true self.

No. He had tried to bury that truth instead. It had worked all this time, keeping everyone else at bay. Keeping his worries and regret to himself.

That wasn't possible anymore. Not with Nino's and Ichika's feelings now on the table. And most of all, Naruto had no reason to chastise Itsuki about her behavior when he was no different.

'I can't move forward.'

He was stuck at a crossroad, indecisive and feeling lost. He also felt trapped, like he couldn't go anywhere. Like he couldn't even take one step in any direction. It was almost as though there were too many options, and most led to a bad ending for him.

Most of all, he didn't want to risk losing the precious bonds he had formed over the years since coming here. Which he felt was sure to happen if he came out with the truth. Who would believe him? Or even want to be near him after he told them? This world was so different from his own. There was no way they could understand. That's how he had been justifying his silence for years.

It was better to lie to them and still keep their bonds than jeopardize it all for a truth that no one would ever believe in.

Naruto was trying to keep the status quo. And now…

'Now that's not good enough.'

Ichika and Nino.

Itsuki and Nino.

Hell, all five of them.

There were so many complications. He just couldn't take a step forward. It was frustrating. Naruto was close to hating himself for it. He had never felt so powerless before. He had always known what to do. Even when he hadn't known the correct answer, he had still moved in a direction towards one.

'Well, I can't just Rasengan my way out of this.'

As amusing as that thought was, it didn't help him in figuring out what to do. He wanted an answer, but he just couldn't reach it.

What was he going to do?

"Aha! I finally found you!"

A half-exhausted voice shouted from behind him. Naruto turned and was surprised to see Yotsuba running toward him. There was some sweat dripping down her cheeks, a fact that only highlighted her desperate efforts.

"Yotsuba?"

What was she doing here? The park Naruto had secluded himself in was sort of big. It was actually a nice spot, now that he thought about it. He should come here more often, if he had the chance.

Wait, no. He could think about that later. Yotsuba, now. Park, later.

"You're still as fast as ever!" Even though she was out of breath, Yotsuba had no problems talking as she stopped next to the blond. She began to get her breathing under control. "For a second, it looked like I was going to lose you."

Did she follow him all the way from the apartment?

Naruto managed to grin despite the troublesome situation.

"Your speed has gotten better."

They hadn't trained in months because of his trip, but it was nice to see that the girl was still keeping at it.

"But of course!" Yotsuba flexed her arm and grinned widely. "Like I told you, I need to defeat you one day! That's why I'm working so hard." She then deflated a little. "Of course, after seeing how slow I still am compared to you, it showed me I still have a long way to go."

Yeah, that was a mistake on Naruto's part. He didn't think anyone was following him, so he hadn't bothered to slow down. It wasn't his full speed, but it was still faster than anyone else on this planet.

"Don't worry about it. You have a natural knack for this. I'm sure you'll only get better."

That was no exaggeration. Yotsuba was certainly the most physically gifted of the quints, a fact that had helped the two of them bond over the years.

Yotsuba grinned like a little at the compliment before turning somber. "You're always supporting us, aren't you? Even when you're in pain or in trouble, you still doing it."

Naruto hadn't expected the conversation to take this sudden turn. He didn't like it.

Is this why she had followed him here?

"Yotsuba, you don't have to get involved in all of this. It's not your problem to deal with."

That was another funny thing about hypocrisy. People knew they were hypocrites, that was a fact. However, there were just as many times when they didn't know that they were acting hypocritically. Either because they didn't catch it or out of willful ignorance, a strong desire to turn their eyes away from the truth.

Yotsuba didn't know which Naruto was, but she was unhappy about it regardless.

"You keep saying that, but that's not going to stop the people who care about you from trying to help. It only makes you look like a jerk."

Naruto's mouth was left hanging. It was hard to pinpoint what he was feeling, especially from the way Yotsuba was glaring at him.

Yotsuba, the friendliest of the five, was in fact glaring at him. He could see this from any of the others, but _Yotsuba_? She was actually glaring at him?

Yotsuba was angry. It was a different type of anger from earlier, though. With Itsuki, it was a bitter type of anger. With Naruto, it was more frustration than anything else.

Yotsuba wasn't blind. She had noticed many of the similar stuff Nino and Ichika had about Naruto and his refusal to talk about his past. But she had never said anything. She never had the courage to. She didn't want to think about what the answers could be to the many questions she had. Questions they all had really. Yotsuba didn't know if any of the others had asked Naruto about his past, but if they had Naruto had most definitely refused to answer.

It was a mask. This was a mask Naruto was wearing to try and fool them. And Yotsuba was getting sick of it. The cracks had started to show themselves, and it was getting hard to seal them up again.

Yotsuba ignored the fact that she was wearing one herself.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Yotsuba knew why, but she had to ask.

Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He suddenly felt exhausted.

"You're the last person I expected to get confronted about this. You've really grown, Yotsuba."

She hadn't. Yotsuba didn't think so at least.

"Bonds are wonderful things." Naruto raised his head. It really was a peaceful afternoon today. The sky was pretty clear with few clouds, but it wasn't too hot either. Definitely a good time to enjoy a walk or something like that. "They can bring joy, comfort, and even love. It's one of the best human experiences we have." He sighed and lowered his head. "But they can also lead to fear, hate, and loneliness. They can make you do some crazy stuff in an effort to protect them. It's an ugly thing to see sometimes."

Yotsuba was having a hard time understanding what Naruto's point was in all of this. His next words thankfully cleared everything up for her.

"I guess that's what I'm doing now. I'm trying to protect the bonds I have with you guys. Even if I have to lie."

It was a small price to pay in Naruto's mind. It was his hypocrisy at play, but he couldn't acknowledge it. And even if he could, he'd probably be too stubborn to do anything about it.

Because it was for the "greater good."

"That's not going to make anyone happy," Yotsuba whispered. "Least of all you. It's visible on your face. Trying to hide behind nice words and justifications won't change that."

"You can say that because you can't understand." Naruto stood his ground. "Some truths aren't meant to be known."

Another lie.

Yotsuba shook her head. "You know you don't believe that. You're just scared. And….you don't have faith in us."

The ultimate truth in all of this. Yotsuba was right on the money, but it was also the one thing Naruto didn't want to say or admit to.

He didn't trust them enough. He wanted to say he did, but his actions proved otherwise.

"Why can't you trust us?"

Naruto had no answer for this. He _couldn'_t answer. Because if he did, the answer would expose the truth he was trying to reject.

"You _can _trust us." Yotsuba understood all of this. She saw the differing emotions running through Naruto's eyes. It's what gave him away. It's something he could never get rid of, which Yotsuba didn't mind. It just made Naruto who he was to her.

"We won't abandon you."

There was reassurance in her voice. It was like the tone of a mother who was trying to calm her child. That's how soothing it was. It was very shocking to see this coming from Yotsuba, who even Naruto had judged as the most childish of the five.

But now, she looked more like their mother than any of the others ever had. It made Naruto feel like he was sitting back in that hospital room all over again. It was honestly something very weird to go through again, and it was happening with Yotsuba.

Naruto's defenses started to give. When Yotsuba grabbed his hand, he didn't try to push away. It was the opposite. He might have even leaned in closer, as did Yotsuba.

"Yotsuba, I-"

"There you two are!"

A voice, that sounded like it was hanging on to death's door, broke their little moment. The two quickly broke apart as a sweating and heavily panting Fuutarou jogged over to them. He had his backpack on him, and his shirt was stained with his sweat.

He panted more as he slouched over. "Do you two have any idea how hard it was to find you!? Why are you so fast!?"

Yotsuba looked sheepish. "Ah, w-well, Naruto-sensei is a lot faster than me really. That's the only reason I ran so fast."

She couldn't lose him. Not when she wanted to help him.

"Tch, you two are like beyond human or something," Fuutarou said under his breath, trying to calm his panting. He hadn't been forced to run this much in a long time. He was really out of shape, wasn't he?

Naruto looked at him. If he had any lingering thoughts about that moment with Yotsuba, he wasn't showing it.

"So you left the apartment."

"Of course I did!" Fuutarou scowled. "Those two just locked themselves in their rooms again. I have no idea what happened with you and Itsuki, but there's no way I was going to be able to do anything about it."

Miku was a lost cause for him at the moment as well.

"You doubt yourself too much, Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba wagged her finger like a disappointed mother. "I'm sure you'd be able to get access to their hearts if you try."

Hm. For some reason, that made Naruto feel like Yotsuba was speaking from experience.

Fuutarou didn't look convinced. "I don't know who you think I am, but those two are crazy. Even this brute ran away!"

Naruto twitched. "I didn't run away."

But he had.

And what did he mean by _brute_? That was just hurtful.

Fuutarou felt like collapsing on the ground. "This is just too much. What are you people even involved with? There's no way I can tutor them in this kind of environment."

They would never focus, and there was the issue that Itsuki and Miku didn't want him there in the first place. And the other two were missing! Just wonderful.

What a _wonderful_ job this was turning out to be.

Naruto crossed his arms and hummed in thought. "It's true, what you say. Our initial approach was off. If we continue this way, we'll just meet defeat."

"Oho~" Yotsuba beamed. "Does Naruto-sensei have a new plan?"

There was an underlying question within, but Naruto deflected it.

"For now, it'd be best if Fuutarou went home. But I promise you this. I'll have all five of them there for you tomorrow."

Fuutarou frowned. "Are you serious?"

He didn't know Naruto, and after seeing him fail with Itsuki he wasn't sure if he was ready to put his trust on the blond a second time.

Naruto looked sure of himself. "Yeah. I'm serious. I can promise you that. But that's all I can do. After that, you have to give them a reason to stay."

So that's how it was. Fuutarou didn't mind rising to the challenge.

"Ha, don't underestimate me. I'll make sure to keep their butts in place."

"Wait, wait!" Yotsuba jumped into the conversation, looking back and forth between the two boys. "What am I suppose to do?"

She wanted to be a part of this too!

Naruto and Fuutarou looked at one another. There was a second of silence before Fuutarou reached into his backpack and pulled out several worksheets.

"I was going to have you guys work on these worksheets first, to see what you were good at and what you needed work on."

He didn't have enough copies obviously. How was he supposed to have known there were _five _of them?

Yotsuba didn't look too happy as she grabbed the worksheets. "Why do I have to do the boring stuff?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "The whole point is to have you guys working on this. That's the end game. If you do it, it'd be a huge help for us."

One out of five wasn't good, but it was better than none at all. Fuutarou was happy to take this considering the circumstances.

'Shitty romance.' He was able to grasp that much, that romance was the root cause of all of this. At least, that's what he had been able to pry out of Yotsuba while Naruto had been conversing with Itsuki.

It just proved to Fuutarou that romance was nothing but a waste of time. Trying to get involved with others like that would only lead to problems, problems that he didn't need. No, getting his family money to get out of their debt was his top priority. Nothing was going to distract him from that.

Yotsuba pouted but accepted the reasoning nonetheless. "Whatever. I guess if I'm helping…."

She was still part of the trio that would fix everything, so she couldn't complain too much.

"I'm holding you to this," Fuutarou said, he and Naruto staring at one another. "I can't afford to waste too much time."

He needed to get them on a studying schedule as soon as possible, but that could only happen if he knew what they needed help with.

Poor Fuutarou. Once he realized that they were all flunkies, he was going to have a heart attack.

Naruto decided to spare the poor boy from that fate. At least, for now. They had already caused enough problems for him today. No need to add more.

But for now, they had another accord. The three of them were on this together, and now it was only a matter of getting the other four to agree.

Simple, right?

* * *

"What are you going to do, Naruto-sensei?"

"So you're not going to let me go without telling you, huh."

Fuutarou had left, since there was nothing else he could for today. Not with how things were. But even with him gone, Naruto couldn't go anywhere as Yotsuba blocked his path, looking eager to get some answers.

"I have to make sure you're in the right state of mind!" Yotsuba exclaimed, her ribbon twitching as if it had a mind of its own. "Are you finally going to stop being stubborn and talk to us?"

"That again." Naruto scratched his head. "I'm not sure how that should come into play with this-"

"Because Nino and Ichika love you!" Yotsuba was upfront about the situation. She steeled herself, her usual mask in place. A mask that not even Naruto had been able to pick up on, even after all these years. "You have to respond to their feelings properly. You can't run away from this, understand?"

'They really are quintuplets,' Naruto mused to himself again.

First Miku, then Itsuki, and now Yotsuba. It wasn't word for word, but the three had each said basically the same thing to him. Even if they didn't know it, they were of the same mind on this issue. Of course, Naruto had a feeling that their reasonings behind this sentiment was different. But that could be focused on later.

"You're really unbelievable." Yotsuba was prepared to hear more denial from the blond, but what she hadn't expected was for Naruto to start patting her on the head. It made her heart start to beat faster and her cheeks to redden. "You remind me of the old me in a lot of ways. He'd probably slap me and tell me the same thing."

Yeah, he had been more bold back then, hadn't he? Worrying over something like this…it wasn't like him. All this hesitation, all this refusal to trust those he claimed were close to him.

'If our bonds can be so easily shattered over this, then were they ever strong in the first place?'

That's what Naruto had to wonder, but he wouldn't allow himself to doubt anymore. It was just as Yotsuba said. He had to have faithin them, that they wouldn't treat him differently after knowing everything about him. No matter how unbelievable it may be or how logic said otherwise, Naruto didn't need to care about stuff like that. He never had, so why do it now?

He was an idiot and a hypocrite. He needed to accept this.

Naruto smiled and stepped back. "Thanks for that, Yotsuba. I really needed to clear my mind."

Yotsuba had to calm her beating heart and smiled back. "Y-Yeah, of course! You do it for us all the time, so it's only natural that we would want to help too!"

It really was, but it also came at a cost. But that cost shouldn't matter to Naruto. Or her sisters. Yotsuba would keep doing what she always did and endure. It was only natural, after everything she had done.

"At least I know what to do now." Naruto nodded to himself and continued to smile. "My initial approach to this was totally off, that's for sure. I just have to change the setup."

That way, he would be keeping his promise to both Fuutarou and Maruo.

And most of all, he would keep his promise to their mother.

Yotsuba tilted her head, curious. "What are you thinking of doing, Naruto-sensei?"

"Easy."

He was going to have to find Nino first. After that, he could settle the issue between her and Itsuki once and for all. They were both being idiots about this, but it wasn't like he had been any better. But now that he accepted that, maybe he could do something about it.

Oh boy. This was definitely going to be a long night.

* * *

**The stage has been set, and it was Yotsuba who rose to the challenge. She got her shine this chapter, so hopefully that was enjoyable for everyone.**

**And just to make sure everyone knows, I am caught up to the manga. I've known about who Fuutarou met first since the chapter dropped, so there's no need to worry about that. I'm sure some people will be able to guess what her "struggle" will be in this story.**

**I'm also hoping you see that Naruto isn't the only hypocrite in this situation.**

**Anyway, that's all from me.**

**Till next time.**


	9. I'm Interested

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 8:  
****I'm Interested**

It was a busy night. Then again, in these parts of the city, it was always a busy night. The fact that it was a Monday didn't seem to affect the party that was always constant in this area. It was filled with clubs, bars, and other "adult friendly" entertainment.

Naruto hadn't been a part of this for many years now. All the partying got tiresome after a while. Frankly, calling it a "party" was probably being too kind. The things that went down in this part of town weren't exactly _legal_.

Which is why it was so popular.

In the middle of it all was a rundown looking bar. It had that appearance for a reason. To not attract attention from the police. Despite its lack of visual appeal, its owner was one of the wealthiest men in this side of the country. Naruto didn't know all the details, and he never cared to ask.

Point is, this wasn't a place for the softhearted. Or the poor.

Naruto hadn't wanted to return here, not after his promise. But he had no choice at the moment. He was on a mission, and he was going to use all the resources at his disposal.

The blond entered the bar like it was his second home. The guard outside even nodded to him as he stepped through the door. The alcohol stench invaded Naruto's senses the second he was inside the bar. The place was as filthy as he remembered it.

There were all sorts of people here. From politicians out for a "night stroll," to people like him who were here on business. Except their business was of the dangerous kind.

'How nostalgic.'

Naruto didn't pay this too much attention as he headed straight for the bar area. He recognized the bartender right off the bat, and the feeling was mutual.

"Well, what do you know? My former employee makes his appearance again. How emotional this night has become for me."

The tall and dark skinned man gave him a large toothy grin. He was in a long sleeved shirt and cargo pants, definitely not the usual bartender-look. Which is why he chose to wear that in the first place.

Naruto only rolled his eyes. The man's over-the-top sarcasm hadn't changed either it seemed.

"If you're so emotional, then you won't mind doing me a favor."

There was a pause. Then, the man began to laugh.

"Hahahaha, that's a real funny joke you got there, Uzumaki. Real funny. We haven't seen one another in years, after you suddenly quit I may add, and the first thing you say after showing your sorry face to me is that you want a favor. Not even a hello. How cold. I know I'm not a saint, but it still makes me weep."

More sarcasm. Great.

"I'm kind of in a rush. If I had time to indulge in your jokes, then I would." Naruto paused before leaning over the counter. "Besides, I never worked for you. I worked _with _you. Big difference."

Semantics. Gotta love them.

"That's not the point, and you know it."

Naruto sighed as he took a seat. Might as well at this point.

"You're not gonna make this easy, are you?"

"Have I ever?"

Good point.

"Why do you even want to drag this out anyway?" Naruto tapped his fingers on the counter, eyeing the people near him. There was a couple making out in the corner. "You were never the sentimental type."

"It's not about sentimentality." The man began to pour Naruto a drink. Non-alcoholic of course. "You were our best employee before you suddenly disappeared one day. We were kinda worried you had started working for someone else. But nada. Not a single peep from you. That kind of stuff makes me curious."

That's it? He was curious about something like that?

But it was true, that Naruto had once worked here. It wasn't one of his proudest moments, but it had been a necessity. It was shortly after he had arrived to this world. Back then, he had been eager to get money however he could. He had to, in order to try and help the single mother that was helping him even though she already had five daughters to take care of.

Nakano Rena. She had been something else. A strong person. As stern as she looked, she had a soft side to her that everyone else seemed to lack. After all, it was only because of her intervention that he was even here today. That's why he had been so desperate to help her in anyway he could, to alleviate some of her financial burden.

That's why he had worked here. He had done many sorts of jobs for the owner of this place. From different escort missions, to hits, and even simple guard duties. Naruto had used all his physical skills to make it happen. It was the only thing he had to offer at that point.

But after a year or so of working here, he had quit. Gone as quickly as he arrived.

"I had a promise to uphold. That's why I left."

The man let out a grunt. "Ha, and you accuse me of being sentimental. Was it that woman that you were staying with?"

Of course he knew. Naruto wouldn't expect any less.

"Yeah. I made a promise to her to finish my studies and not stay in this place. No offense."

It was on her deathbed that he had made that promise. Not that it made a difference. A promise was a promise, regardless of the circumstances. There was also the fact that he was so indebted to her. Even now, that hadn't changed.

'And I can never repay her now.'

Keeping his promise wouldn't be enough in Naruto's eyes. Not even close. But those were the regrets of the past, and nothing could change it. The only thing he could do was look to the future.

Which is why he was here tonight.

"So you left for a woman." The man was amused as he crossed his arms. "Makes sense. That is your only weakness."

"What, helping people?"

"No. Hot women."

Of course he would say that.

"I probably shouldn't even be showing you this, but I need results. And fast. And you're my best bet."

"What, you looking for someone?"

"Yeah."

Naruto pulled out his phone and scrolled to a picture of Nino, which he showed to the man.

"Her."

"Ha, no shit." The man nearly fell over in laughter. "So that's how it is. You're looking after Nakano's brats. Small world."

Why was he acting like this was the first time he was hearing of it? Maruo was a wealthy man. He was part of a very exclusive circle. His very prestigious job offered him that. Going to expensive parties, interacting with the elite. Naruto knew Maruo didn't much care for these things, but regardless they were still part of his life. His reputation also extended to his daughters, even if they weren't blood related.

"Stop laughing. I know you've been keeping tabs on my life."

The man shrugged after containing his laughter. "Just as insurance. We do it with everyone."

As he had already explained.

"We saw the little missy check into one of the expensive hotels in the area," he said as he began to wipe one of the expensive looking cups. It was a total difference from all the cheap looking stuff in the bar, from the chairs to the tables. "It was right in the middle of downtown. That Ritz-something place. You know it."

That piece of information had Naruto slamming his head on the counter.

'Goddammit, Nino.'

He should have known she would do something like that. Subtly wasn't exactly in her vocabulary, after all.

"What's the big deal? You guarding her or something?" The man didn't know the specifics of Naruto's relationship with the quintuplets, after all. "Or is it more personal?"

"I don't think that's your concern." Naruto took one sip from his offered drink before getting to his feet. "But thanks for the info. I owe you one."

It was unfortunate that he did, but that couldn't be helped. They always collected, regardless of how the person felt.

"Heh, I don't get you, Uzumaki." The man took the drink from the counter while shooting the retreating blond a small grin. "Why ask for our help when you have that friend of yours? Ken, was it? He did some fine work too."

He did. Which is why Naruto took him away from that.

"That one is easy." Naruto looked back at the man. "I'm a hypocrite."

He was willing to risk his future for his friends, but he wouldn't allow his friends to do the same for him.

That's how it was.

And the man loved every second of it.

* * *

It took Naruto around twenty minutes to get to the hotel Nino was supposedly staying in. Since it was so late, Naruto was sure she was going to be in her room. The question is, would she want to see him?

After playing as her brother and getting her room number from the receptionist, Naruto headed for the elevators. Her room was up in the fifth floor. At least she hadn't rented a whole suite. Not that it would matter. With the credit card she had, she could afford that and much more.

Being rich had its perks.

Once in the fifth floor, Naruto went for her room. It was room 513. Standing in front of the door, the blond was faced with another choice. He could knock and see if Nino would let him in, or simply pick the lock and make his entrance that way.

'Knowing Nino….'

After what had happened, there was no way she was going to let him inside. She was far too stubborn for that. And Naruto wasn't looking to cause a scene here.

Second option it was then.

Picking the lock wasn't hard. He wasn't a former shinobi for nothing. It only took him a few seconds after using a hairpin he had on hand. Why a hairpin?

Because they were everywhere. Cheap too.

Having Nino be asleep would probably work best for him. He could maybe even carry her back to her apartment without waking her up. But sadly, Lady Luck wasn't smiling on him tonight. Nino was wide awake, and she sprung to her feet the moment she heard the door opening.

"W-What!? What's going on!? Who's there!?"

"Relax." Naruto had to hide his smile when he saw her getting to a fighting stance. It was crude, but it was good to see that she hadn't completely forgotten her lessons. "It's just me."

"Wh-!" Nino gaped at him. But that was natural. He had technically just broken into her room, after all. "Naruto! What are you doing here? And how did you find me!?"

"I have my ways." Naruto closed the door and hoped none of the cameras outside caught what he had just done. He hadn't seen any, but you never know. The last thing he needed was the cops getting involved over something so petty. "But forget that. We need to talk."

Already over his sneaky entrance, Nino crossed her arms and huffed. She was in another one of her dresses. Running away hadn't dampened her style one bit. Although her choice of hotel was probably the bigger clue of that.

"I'm not going back."

"You are, but that's not what I'm talking about."

This made her pause for a second. "Then-"

"You and me." Naruto walked past her to one of the windows. From the fifth floor, there was a great view of the city streets down below. The whole room was nice if he was being honest. There was even a small kitchen for cooking. What kind of hotels offered that?

Oh, right. Expensive ones.

"We kind of left things off in a bad place last time, didn't we?"

That was an understatement. Nino had already been in a bad mood. His rejection to her advances had only aggravated her further.

"What are you going to say this time? That you aren't ready? That you don't want me?" Nino faced away from him, not wanting to look at him right now. If she could, she would have kicked him out already. "Save it. I don't want to hear anymore of your excuses."

She was being harsh. Nino knew this. But after everything that had happened, she wasn't in the mood to put up with any nonsense. The last couple of days hadn't done anything to lessen her anger. It wasn't even directed at Naruto either. He just so happened to be in front of her right now.

"You really are a troublesome woman, you know that." Despite his words, Naruto still smiled. "An old friend of mine used to say that all women are troublesome. Didn't believe him until recently."

Nino deadpanned. "Is that supposed to be your apology?"

Because it sucked.

"Not really. It was just an interesting tidbit about my past."

Nino perked up at this. "Your past?"

So he finally had her attention. Good.

"Yeah, my past." The two faced one another. "I think it's about time I told you the truth about myself."

In many ways, this could be considered a cheap ploy to try and calm Nino down, but that didn't really make a difference in Naruto's mind. He was done hesitating. He was done going back on his word.

Most of all, he was done being afraid.

Despite her annoyance, Nino didn't look away or try to stop him. She couldn't. This was something she had wanted to know for years. She was convinced she would probably never know since Naruto refused to budge on the issue. But for him to offer the information willingly….

Surprise couldn't even begin to describe how she felt right now.

"Nino, I-"

"Wait a second!"

Naruto was confused. "What?"

"G-Give me a second." Nino started to squirm and fiddle with her dress. "I'm finally going to hear about your past. I need to get comfortable."

Comfortable? What?

Naruto almost laughed. "Whatever for?"

"I-It's important okay!" As she said this, she got comfortable on the bed. She sat with her legs crossed and her arms over her chest. Not only that, but her face became dead serious, like she was expecting to be hit or something. "Okay, I'm ready. Hit me with it."

Cute, Nino. Very cute.

As funny as her reaction was, Naruto began with his explanation nonetheless. Just as promised.

He took a deep breath and started with the most important detail.

"I'm not from this world."

* * *

"Did he leave?"

When Yotsuba returned to their apartment, she was met with Miku who was watching the entrance from the upper floor. She was already in her pajamas.

"E-Eh, who are you talking about?" Yotsuba was kind of lost in her own thoughts at the moment.

"That guy. Fuutarou."

"Oh." Yotsuba made sure to keep the papers she had received from Fuutarou out of Miku's sight, putting them behind her. She didn't want to explain what they were, not right now.

"Yeah, he did. Nino and Ichika aren't here today, so I don't think it would have been a good idea for him to stay."

She said this, but Yotsuba had been hoping for the opposite to happen. Or wait, is that what she wanted? She was happy, sure. She had just reunited with someone from her childhood, even if he didn't seem to remember her at all. But then there was also….

'No, no, no! Wait a second. I can't think like that!'

Nino and Ichika were already ahead of her, and they were much cuter too! There was no way she could compete with them! Not that she wanted to compete with them! Why would she even compete with them anyway? There was no reason for her to compete! What was there to compete about in the first place? There was nothing to compete about. Nothing! And why did she keep repeating the word "compete" over and over again? It didn't make any sense, did it?

'I'm such an idiot!'

Miku had to watch her sister go into a total mental breakdown for no apparent reason. She didn't understand it. Why was she so troubled?

'Is it Itsuki again?' The quiet girl glanced to said girl's room. The door was firmly closed. After Naruto and Yotsuba had ran off, Itsuki hadn't come out of her room again. Miku was sure Itsuki would lock herself in there for the rest of the night. Would she go to school tomorrow?

'After what happened…..'

That reminded her.

"Did you talk to Naruto?"

Yotsuba's mental rant came to an end when she heard the question. She looked down, still hiding the papers behind her. She gripped them tighter.

"I did."

She didn't say anymore.

Miku's lips thinned. She expected more, but Yotsuba wasn't saying anything.

"And?"

Yotsuba was usually very open about stuff, so trying to pry information out of her was a new experience.

"It's nothing for us to worry about." Yotsuba raised her head and put on a big smile. "I'm sure Naruto-sensei will figure things out. We just have to believe in him."

'Yotsuba…..'

Miku didn't reply, but deep down she knew. She knew Yotsuba was hiding something.

After all, she saw right through Yotsuba's fake smile.

* * *

It was a long story. A very fantastical story. It was filled with so many dubious details, Nino almost lost track of them. But she listened. Naruto was sure he had rambled for far too long, but he couldn't help himself. After so many years of keeping this in, he was finally able to tell someone about it. To have it out in the open.

It was fantastic.

Nino sat in silence, letting Naruto say everything he wanted. Her face was like an iron mask. For once, she didn't show any emotion. It wasn't on purpose, though. Her brain was simply trying to process everything that it was hearing.

It was a lot to take in.

"I don't really have any proof for this," Naruto said while rubbing the back of his head. "You can choose to believe me or not. And I know your feelings for me will probably change after this. You may not even want to see me again. I understand all of that. I just wanted to make sure you knew."

It was the best he could hope for. But at least he had done what he promised himself he would do. And for him, that was good enough.

Nino still said nothing. Naruto suspected she was still trying to make sense of everything he just said. But at the same time, the silence was unbearable. He just wanted her to say something, anything! It was better than nothing at all.

At last, he got his wish and she spoke.

"I finally get it." Nino held her head, almost like she was facepalming. "All this time, I thought I was the idiot. That I was the _troublesome _girl who was pushing herself on you. But I get it now."

_What _did she get?

"You're an even bigger idiot that I am."

….wait, what?

"Nino, this-"

"You're telling me the truth, right?" She cut him off quickly. She had heard everything he wanted to say. Now it was her turn to speak. "Everything you told me. That you're from a different world. That you were part of this ninja culture. That you lived in this village for most of your life. That you're not from here originally. All of it, that's the absolute truth, right? You're not trying to run away this time?"

"I'm not."

It was the truth, plain and simple.

Nino breathed in slowly before exhaling. It was like she was concentrating before taking a huge dive in a pool.

"Okay."

Naruto just stared at her. "Okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I believe you."

That's it? She _believed _him?

"W-What are you saying? Don't you realize how stupid I sound right now?"

"You usually sound stupid, so this is no change for me."

Not a good time for jokes.

"Besides, that's not really the important part," Nino said as she shot him a glare. "The important part is that you doubted me. You doubted us. You doubted my feelings for you."

The last part was the biggest strike for Nino.

"That's why you're an idiot."

"You honestly think this was easy?" Naruto sighed and looked away. "All this time, I've been unable to talk about the real me with anyone. It was like I was lying to everyone. Like I was lying to you."

"That's a burden you carried on your own." Nino spared no sympathy for him. "You didn't trust us. That's why you had to suffer. If you had only come to us from the start-"

"I never thought I was going to be here for this long!" Naruto shouted. It was he who cut her off this time. "When I first got here, I was only concerned with my survival. Then it was about helping you and the others. But in all of that time, I was still hopeful that I would find a way home. That I would be able to return to the others."

That hope had slowly faded until it was all but extinguished. But Naruto was nothing if not stubborn. It had taken a long time for him to give up on the idea that he wasn't going to return to his dimension. That he wasn't going to see his friends again. The only reason he hadn't reverted to his shell-shock self was because he still had Nino and the others. Through them, through their bond, he was able to keep walking forward.

But at the same time, Naruto got complacent. By the time he was ready to focus on his new life here, he no longer saw the need to speak of his past. He didn't think it was necessary.

'No, that's a lie.'

He just didn't want to be shunned. To be thought of as a crazy person. He was fine with the status quo. It was as Nino said. Like Yotsuba had said.

He had failed to trust them.

Nino clicked her teeth together. "You piss me off." She glared at him. "My feelings aren't so cheap. If you think this changes anything, then you're wrong. I'll simply have to slap you later to make sure you never do something like this again."

Was that really it? Was she really able to believe him just like that? Without any proof?

"Why?"

That's all Naruto could ask.

Nino looked at him. "How long do you think we've known each other for? How many times do you think you've helped me out?" Her voice became soft, as did her features. "I know you have no reason to lie. If I didn't believe in you, then I would be throwing all that away. And that's something that I could never do."

It was like another burden had been lifted off his shoulders. It was a burden that had been entirely in his head, one that he didn't even need to worry about in the first place. But now he was sure.

Nino's eyes widened when she saw Naruto's eyes tearing up.

"H-Hey…."

The only time she had seen Naruto cried was during her mother's death, so she was totally blindsided by this.

Acting purely on instinct, Nino got up from the bed and walked over to the blond. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close, running her hands softly through his short messy hair.

"You really are an idiot." Her words were harsh, but her tone was not. Nino even smiled softly as she continued to hug him. "You're the biggest idiot that's ever lived."

In this situation, he was content with that.

"We won't abandon you. I won't abandon you."

It was her answer. The one thing that had been holding Naruto back.

Nino almost squeaked as she found herself pushed back on the bed. It was Naruto who was on top of her, staring down at her. He was no longer teary-eyed. It was the opposite now. His gaze was intense. It was the same gaze Nino had fallen for.

"W-What are you doing?"

She mentally cursed her stutter. That couldn't happen right now. Not when he had her pinned like this. Her smaller frame was pushed down as he continued to hover over her.

"I have no experience with this," Naruto admitted, his tone somewhat sheepish. It was a weird contrast to his powerful gaze. "I only had a single crush before, but that turned out to be a mistake."

A mistake on his part that ended up being beneficial in the long run, but that was neither here nor there.

"You think I do….?" Nino said in return, her voice barely a whisper.

"Well, you're always taking the lead," Naruto joked before he leaned in closer. "But I don't think that's very fair. You've caught me off guard before, and saw my embarrassing side. But not this time. I think it's time I got some payback."

It was Nino who became teary-eyed this time. Not because she was afraid. Okay, maybe a little afraid. But it was the good kind of afraid. Like a bubbling anticipation, ready to burst at any moment.

Was Naruto going to kiss her? They were really close now, and if he wanted to all he had to do was lean down and capture her lips with his.

Nino almost jumped at the thought.

"Do you still have feelings for me?" Naruto asked her. "After what I've told you. Do you still feel the same way?"

"I already told you, you idiot." Nino tried to glare at him, but right now she couldn't muster the energy to do that. "All that stuff changes nothing for me. I…..I still love you."

She said it so easily. There was definitely no denying it now.

Naruto smiled and closed his eyes.

"You're wonderful, Nino."

Nino managed to get some of her haughtiness back. "O-Of course I am."

She lost even that when Naruto grabbed a hold of several strands of her hair. It was the first time someone had done this. Not since her mother anyway. It was definitely a foreign feeling, but it wasn't a bad one either.

"You definitely got me."

Nino's bright red face was his response.

Yeah, he couldn't deny it.

He was definitely interested.

* * *

**And Nino is back in first place. What will Ichika do? Or is this the end? Did Nino get to the finish line already?**

**So many questions.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**Till next time.**


	10. Troublesome Sisters

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 9:  
****Troublesome Sisters**

"Where did you get that suitcase?"

"Huh? It's mine of course. What did you think? That I was just going to run away without any clothes? Don't be stupid. I'm not suffering through something like that."

"But when did you get your clothes? When I saw you, you didn't have a single thing on you."

"I went back to the apartment obviously. What's with the stupid question?"

"When did you-?"

"When everyone was at school, obviously. I plan these things, you know. I'm not a brainless idiot."

So she said, but she was the one who ran away over something so petty in the first place. Well, to her it wasn't petty. But still.

Naruto shook his head. "You give me a headache sometimes, Nino."

Nino beamed. "Ehehehe, you might say that. But I'm still the girl you're interested in~"

She was going to use that all the time now, wasn't she? How troublesome.

The pair had left the hotel around twenty minutes ago and were now heading back to the apartment. It had taken them a bit longer to leave than Naruto would have liked due to Nino's packing. She had brought a lot of stuff with her. From the looks of it, she had come prepared to camp out for a month or longer. She definitely didn't do things halfheartedly.

Hopefully Itsuki hadn't gone to bed yet. Naruto was looking to solve this problem now. The quicker, the better. He had to make sure he kept his promise to Fuutarou.

"Say, if you're more open to my feelings now, does that mean we can go a on a date?"

The question brought Naruto out of his thoughts. Nino wasn't looking at him, instead turning her face the opposite direction. She was probably blushing and didn't want him to see her like that. She was still able to ask him directly, though, despite her embarrassment.

"You're unbelievable sometimes, Nino."

And he meant that as a compliment.

"H-H'mph, tell me something I don't know."

So totally humble too.

Naruto smiled. "Yeah, I'd love to go on a date with you."

Nino's entire demeanor changed. She went from embarrassed to happy in an instant. She quickly closed the distance between them and hugged his arm, her face bright.

"I think going through all of that hassle has been worth it, if this is the result."

Naruto thought so too, but his job wasn't done yet.

"I'll go on a date with you, but only if you make up with Itsuki first."

There it was, his ultimatum.

Nino looked up at him, her face scrunched up in disbelief. "You're bribing me with a date?"

"Yep, totally am!"

And he wasn't ashamed one bit. If it meant that he could fix Nino's and Itsuki's relationship, then he was all for it.

Nino let go of his arm and started to walk in circles around him. The only light was from the lamp post over them, and the headlights from the cars that passed by every few minutes.

"Why are you asking me this?" Nino began, her hands shaking in anger. "I'm not the one who started all of this. If anything, you should be asking Itsuki to apologize to me."

"Yeah, I'm going to do that too. But that doesn't mean you aren't at fault either, Nino."

"What?" Nino turned to him with a glare. "How can I be at fault here? All I'm doing is what I want. Itsuki is the one who thinks she can get away with ordering me. My life isn't hers to control."

Naruto closed his eyes. As usual, Nino didn't make things easy for him.

"Itsuki is afraid of things changing. She wants everything to remain as is. Because she doesn't want to lose what she has now. Doesn't that remind you of a certain someone?"

His words made Nino stop in her tracks. She opened her mouth to refute his claim, but she was unable to come up with anything. She knew Naruto was right on the money with his remark. Itsuki was acting in the same manner Nino had been for the last couple of years. The problem is, Nino hadn't bothered to look at things that way.

Just as Itsuki hadn't bothered to look at things from Nino's point of view. The two of them were basically angry at one another despite behaving the exact same way.

"I know you've endured a lot, Nino." When Naruto opened his eyes again, they were filled with understanding. "You've kept a lot of your frustrations bottled up inside you for sometime now. Unfortunately, Itsuki doesn't seem to be able to do that. But you two are pretty similar, don't you think?"

"So what?" Nino bowed her head, her voice soft now. "What do you want me to do? To just give up on my feelings?"

"I never said that."

"Then what?"

Naruto stared at her. "I want you to do the same thing I did. The same thing I've been telling you for all these years. I want you to accept that things change. It's a natural part of life. No matter how much you want it, things can never stay the same."

Complications always arose, and people were bound to change. The quintuplets might have been the "same" once, but those days were gone now. They were all starting to walk their separate paths, finding meaning in their own lives. Ichika was the prime example of this.

"But you know, that doesn't mean your bonds will ever end."

That's the one thing that worried Nino the most. She didn't want to lose her sisters. That included Itsuki. Their fight didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. They were still sisters. They were family, and that would never change.

Right?

"Besides, you can't fault them for changing when you're doing the same thing," Naruto said, chuckling. "You're ready to face the future, right? You don't have to keep looking at the past anymore."

Nino kept her head low, her face hidden to the world. It made it hard to tell what kind of mood she was in now. Her hands were no longer shaking at least. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

Finally, she spoke again.

"Yikes, your speeches still suck, you know. I'm almost embarrassed to hear them."

Naruto was miffed by the jab.

"Now that's just hurtful. I'm pretty sure my speeches have helped you out a lot!"

"Yeah, but they suck. You need to work on them more. They're so cheesy."

Naruto was going to defend his self-proclaimed "speeches of the century" until Nino silenced him with a hug. She hugged him tight, her head resting on his chest.

"I can trust them, right? Even if we do continue to change, we'll still be together, right?"

She was shaking. Naruto could feel her heart beating fast since they were so close. Nino was definitely the most delicate of the five. There was no denying that. She worried the most about the future. That's why she was so afraid of it. Afraid of what things could be.

"Yes, you'll always be together. I promise."

That's the one thing Naruto was sure of. Because he would fight for that future where they were together.

Nino took his words to heart. She had to. For her sake.

* * *

Yotsuba was excited when she got a text message from Naruto. It didn't explain much, but it was enough for her to cheer up. After all, he had Nino with her and she was coming back too. They could be together again!

Definitely a cause for celebration.

But there was more to the text than that. He needed a favor from her.

'I have to bring Itsuki outside?'

Ah, Naruto was waiting with Nino outside! He just needed to get Itsuki out there too. Probably to get them to talk this out.

'And he needs my help!'

Yotsuba was already prepared to go to bed, being in one of her comfortable onesies. Ichika often joked that she needed to get a more _grownup _nightwear, but this worked just fine for her. Seriously, some of the stuff Ichika bought and wore….it made Yotsuba blush just thinking about it.

'Now that I think about it, wasn't Nino looking at similar stuff the last time we went shopping?'

Wait….what if she had already worn that for Naruto!?

'No, no, no, no!'

There was no way that had happened yet! Nino might be bold, but not _that _bold!

…..right?

'Better not think about it.'

The fact that Yotsuba couldn't dismiss the idea outright made her a bit anxious, but now wasn't the time for that.

Burying those thoughts in the back of her mind, Yotsuba hurried out of her room. She hadn't heard Ichika come home yet, and Miku was in her room. There was no one who could catch her in her stealth mode.

Yes, her stealth mode included her onesie. It was definitely cool, alright!

But really, Yotsuba thought she did a good job not making too much noise as she tiptoed to Itsuki's room. The fact that their rooms were right next to one another didn't diminish that accomplishment one bit. Not at all.

Once at Itsuki's door, Yotsuba began to knock as quietly as she could. She didn't want to wake up Miku for this. She knew how personal this was for Itsuki and Nino.

There was no response.

Yotsuba knocked some more and waited. It didn't seem to have any effect. Yotsuba was considering other means to get Itsuki to open the door, but at that moment a very annoyed looking Itsuki finally opened the door and stepped outside. The girl's hair was a mess, and she was in her own set of pajamas.

Oh yeah, Yotsuba was standing in front of a cranky Itsuki now.

"Yotsuba, what is it? What do you want at this hour?"

Thanks to her sleepy and cranky state, Itsuki had momentarily forgotten about Yotsuba's glare from earlier. Which was good. Otherwise, she might not have opened the door at all.

"Sssssshhhh, not so loud, Itsuki. We don't want to wake up Miku."

Itsuki started to rub the sleep out of her eyes. "Wake up Miku? For what? What are you planning? And is Ichika home yet?"

"I don't think Ichika's back yet." Yotsuba hadn't checked her room, so she couldn't say for sure she wasn't here. "But forget about that. You need to come with me!"

"Come with you? Where?"

The fatigue was clear in Itsuki's voice. Today had just been a very hectic day for her. From her argument with Nino, to her talk with Naruto, and her meeting with Fuutarou. All of it was weighing on her mind. She just wanted some sleep to forget it all, and hopefully wake up the next day to see it all resolved.

Life wasn't that easy, though.

"Outside! Uh, there's something you really need to see! And it's outside!"

Itsuki sighed. "Yotsuba, I'm pretty sure I don't want to see whatever it is you want to show me."

Certainly not this late.

Yotsuba was mentally beating herself over the head. She had rushed over here without even thinking of a plan to get Itsuki outside! Worse still, she didn't know how to lie! Least of all on the fly!

'What did you get me into, Naruto-sensei!'

Yotsuba wanted to cry, but she couldn't give up just yet! She wanted to help Itsuki and Nino fix their relationship too. That's why she was going to stand her ground.

"I'm sure of this, Itsuki. You definitely don't want to miss this."

Itsuki crossed her arms, doubt visible on her face. "Then what is it? This thing that you want to show me?"

_Crap_. Why did Itsuki have to ask all these questions? It just made everything more difficult!

"J-Just come with me!"

Not knowing what else to say, Yotsuba resorted to force and grabbed Itsuki by the arm before dragging her down the stairs.

"W-Wait, Yotsuba! What are you doing!?"

She didn't even have her shoes on or anything!

Neither did Yotsuba for that matter, but the energetic girl didn't care for such details. She was simply going to complete her mission, and that's that!

"Y-Yotsuba, listen to me!"

Itsuki wanted to argue, but she didn't get the chance as the two left the apartment. With all that ruckus, it was no surprise that Miku stuck her head out her door a moment later, looking outside to find the empty hallway.

'I could have sworn I heard something…..'

Was her mind playing tricks on her?

'Maybe I should go to sleep….'

Playing games this late was probably making her hallucinate.

'Ah, what if Shingen's voice comes to me next!?'

Miku went starry-eyed at the thought, and almost giggled to herself as she closed the door again. She had a lot of dreaming to do tonight.

Yes, Miku's night was definitely the most positive out of everyone right now.

* * *

Itsuki was just about ready to fight Yotsuba when the two got out of the elevator and into the main lobby of the building.

"Yotsuba, that's enough!" Itsuki was finally able to pry her arm away from Yotsuba's grasp and glared. "What do you think you're doing, dragging me out here!? Don't you know what time it is!?"

"E-Eh, well you see….."

Yotsuba looked around for anything in the lobby that could help her convince Itsuki to step outside. But there was nothing! The security guard was fast asleep too, so he was no help.

Itsuki looked like a ticking time bomb ready to explode. She just wanted her rest, but now Yotsuba was trying to play a prank on her? She wasn't in the mood for this at all.

"That's good enough, Yotsuba. We can take it from here."

But as quickly as it came, Itsuki's anger vanished when she saw Naruto and Nino stepping inside the lobby with Nino lugging a suitcase behind her.

"Naruto….? And Nino is here too…." Itsuki couldn't believe her eyes. Nino, who had vanished all day, was now standing in front of her.

Just what was happening right now?

"I'm sorry, Naruto-sensei!" Yotsuba instantly apologized, even bowing to the blond. "I couldn't get her outside for you!"

"Nah, this is good enough. Don't worry about it." Naruto gave her a few head pats, which Yotsuba happily accepted.

Nino felt a bit annoyed by the way Yotsuba was smiling after the head pats, but she ignored it for now. She had something more important to take care of first. Besides, she couldn't be _too _mad, not after Yotsuba ran up to her and hugged her.

"Nino, I've missed you!"

Nino smiled. "I was only gone for a day."

"It felt longer than that!"

"Hehehe, I guess so."

"This is no time to be laughing!"

Sorry, but Nino felt too happy to not laugh.

"Hey, what's happening? Why are you here?" Itsuki didn't like being ignored and cut straight to the point. It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see Nino. Like Yotsuba, she had missed her sister very much But at the same time, she didn't know why she had been dragged all the way out here for this.

"It's about time you two cleared the air," Naruto answered. "We wanted to do this in private, and not trouble Miku or Ichika."

"I was just happy to help!" Yotsuba exclaimed as she separated from Nino. "Sorry for dragging you out like that, Itsuki. But it was the only thing I could do."

Itsuki wasn't mad anymore. She understood how Yotsuba was, and what she would do to help others. Besides, if it gave her the chance to make Nino understand why she couldn't go through with her so-called feelings, then she was more than happy to take this opportunity.

"From your expression, I can tell you haven't learned anything," Nino said as she crossed her arms. "You still think you have a say over my life."

Itsuki frowned. She wasn't going to take that accusation lightly.

"This doesn't just involve you, Nino! Why can't you understand that? You're changing many things with this. What I want is to-"

"You want things to say the same. You're afraid of what's going to happen next, if things continue this way." Nino smiled to herself. "I didn't see things from your point of view when we first argued. That was my mistake. Just so you know, I've had that same feeling for a while now. About all of you."

About them? What was she saying? Itsuki didn't understand.

"What does that mean? None of us have done anything of the sort!"

"You're all different. _We're_ different. You can see that, I'm sure." Nino looked down. "That terrified me. It was like we were no longer close like when mom was alive. Like we were growing into strangers. You all started to grow and find your own things. You even changed your hair, the one thing that connected us the most."

"Nino." Yotsuba frowned, caught completely off guard by Nino's confession. She couldn't believe her own sister had been going through something like that.

'And I was the first to change….'

Her ribbon. Yotsuba had started to wear it to separate herself from the others. She wanted to stand out, to be different. Ichika followed afterwards with her haircut. It all spiraled from there.

All that made Nino feel like they were abandoning their bond with one another. Yotsuba hadn't meant it that way. She didn't want to discard her bonds with her family. She had only felt frustrated. She had wanted to find herself. She still did. But because of her actions, she had caused Nino great pain.

'I've hurt her again….'

That realization made her heart ache, but Yotsuba made sure to hide her pain like she always did. She had to. She had to be strong. It's all she had left.

"I…..I never meant to hurt you, Nino." Itsuki felt the same guilt Yotsuba did. "I didn't think it was that important to you."

"If we were the same person, then you would have realized that it did." Nino shook her head. "But that's just it. We're not the same person. It was selfish of me to think that way. We might have been extremely similar back then, but we were still our own unique person. I'm sure mom saw us that way too."

She had. Naruto knew this for a fact. That's what their mother had shared with him, back when he was still trying to figure out a way to tell them apart.

Yotsuba recalled a similar conversation with her mother, but she kept this to herself.

"But that's why I've decided to start making progress myself." Nino stepped closer to her sister, and for a moment it looked as though Itsuki might back away from her. But she didn't. She stood where she was, and allowed Nino to take her hand with her own. "The future is scary, isn't it? You don't want to lose another precious person to you, right?"

"I…..of course I don't." Itsuki forced the words out. But she wouldn't cry. She couldn't. "I don't want to see ourselves split apart either. I don't want to lose any of us."

"You're not losing anyone, Itsuki." Naruto had a smile of acceptance. "Honestly, I've told Nino this before, but you're so troublesome. Thinking like that. Our bonds aren't that cheap, you know."

"Now's not the time for that, idiot." Nino nearly shushed him. "Besides, you have some stuff to answer for too, right?"

"Ah, that's right." Naruto scratched his cheek and hummed. "Nino and I are going on a date later."

There were three separate looks of shock and embarrassment from the three girls.

"T-That's not what I was talking about!" Nino shouted, her face red. It wasn't as red as when they were in the hotel, but it was pretty close. "Seriously, how much of an idiot are you!?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked. "That's what you meant, isn't it?"

"Obviously not!"

'N-No way!' Yotsuba felt like she was falling down an endless dark hole. 'Naruto-sensei and Nino…..are going on a date!?'

She couldn't believe it. No, she didn't _want _to believe it. And Yotsuba hated herself for thinking that way.

"W-W-W-W-Wha…." Itsuki was all stutters and rapid blinking. She looked back and forth between Naruto and Nino, trying to understand all of this. "H-How could y-you two d-d-d-do-!?"

"I had some stuff to think about too, ya know." Naruto let out a small sigh. "What you told me earlier. I hesitated to respond. And then running away like that. It wasn't one of my proudest moments. But that's changing now too. I've got my own fears for the future. That's only natural, I think. Everyone probably feels that way at some point in their lives. But it doesn't mean you have to face it alone."

Itsuki listened intently to his words, her embarrassment dying down. "So you've made up your mind as well."

"I have." Naruto offered her a smile. "But whatever happens, I won't stop loving you any less."

Those words were far more reassuring to Itsuki than Naruto could imagine. Naruto had always been that emotional supportive rock to her. Losing that would have truly shattered her, just as when she lost their mother. Going through something like that again…..Itsuki didn't think she could handle it.

'But I was just being silly, wasn't I?'

Looking at Naruto now, Itsuki realized that she didn't have to worry about that possibility.

And Nino….

"H-H'mph, I know he doesn't mean it in a romantic way, but it's still frustrating to hear that." Nino was sulking, feeling very jealous of Itsuki right now. It was in a playful light of course, but still.

Naruto just rolled his eyes. "Stop overreacting. You know I love you too."

"One day, I'll get that in a more romantic setting from you!"

"You're never satisfied, are you?"

"It's called knowing what you want."

"Sure, whatever you have to tell yourself."

"You insensitive brute, if I didn't already love you-"

Nino's rant had to stop when Itsuki burst into laughter, holding her sides.

"Ahahahaha, you two…..! I can't take it anymore!"

"C-Can't take it?" Nino didn't understand and neither did Naruto.

It took much self control, but Itsuki was able to bring her laughter under control.

"I'm sorry. I knew I was being selfish, but I didn't let that stop me and tried to control you both. I realize now that it was foolish of me to attempt such a thing." Itsuki smiled widely. "Everyone's future is their own, right? Whatever that may be. But if we're together, then it can't be that bad."

Itsuki could accept that, especially if it meant she could see Naruto and Nino happy.

"Now you get it." Nino huffed. "It took you a while. Glad to see we could get through to you."

Itsuki gained a tick mark over her head. "Say what now? Nino, weren't you the one who ran away? I'm sure Naruto had to get into a huge fight with you before you decided to come back."

"That's not true at all! Our discussion was more civil and easygoing than this!"

"As if you expect me to believe that! You're the most stubborn one here!"

"No, I'm not! You piggy!"

"What did you just call me!?"

"You heard me!"

Naruto had to facepalm as Nino and Itsuki went into a shouting match with one another.

"And here I thought we were finally making progress."

Yotsuba came to stand next to him and chuckled. "I think you did a good job, Naruto-sensei. Seeing them like this…...it really does make me happy."

True, it was better than before. Arguing was just another form of bonding, right? It was better to think of it that way.

But they were definitely a pair of troublesome sisters.

And Naruto loved them for it.

* * *

In the end, the security guard had been woken up by all the shouting and nearly kicked Naruto out as punishment. They had done a quick retreat back to their apartment before things could get messy, which is where Naruto was now.

Nino had gone straight to her room to unpack while Itsuki and Yotsuba were able to head back to bed, their minds at ease for the moment. A huge burden had definitely been lifted from them after that talk.

But Naruto's job wasn't done just yet. He still had one more thing to clear up before the night was over with.

"You're waiting for Ichika?"

Naruto looked up from his phone to see Nino joining him in the living room. She had changed into her nightwear, which was basically a very long striped long-sleeve shirt.

"Yeah, I need to clear things up with her too. But you don't have to worry about that."

"T'ch, what do you mean I don't have to worry?" Nino sat next to him with her arms crossed. "She's practically my rival. I can't have her pulling something over me."

"Pretty sure that won't happen."

That could mean a lot of different things, but Nino wasn't going to pressure Naruto into giving her a clear answer. Not for now at least.

"What about the others? When are you going to tell them about…..your past?"

"After my talk with Ichika." Naruto placed his phone on the table before leaning back with his arms crossed behind his head. "Unlike with the others, it's going to be a tad more personal. Like with you."

Nino had to look away. She didn't like this one bit, leaving Naruto alone with Ichika. Despite what the blond might think, she knew how devious Ichika could be. If she tried something…..

'But I can't stop it.'

Nino knew Ichika deserved the same chance Naruto had given her. For her to be able to respond to her feelings properly. That couldn't be done with the others around.

'But I can't leave things like this either.'

It wouldn't make Nino feel satisfied. It would be like leaving a match too early and without a decisive winner, which is why she needed to pull off another surprise.

Naruto didn't see it coming. He was simply resting back, eyes closed. He was sure Nino was going to return to her room at any moment now, and when he felt her body shift he thought she was doing just that.

But then her lips were suddenly on his cheek, and his eyes opened right up.

He turned to Nino, somewhat dumbfounded.

"What was that….?"

Giggling softly, Nino pulled back, her cheeks having a rosy tint to them. But her eyes were gleaming with mischief.

"Just leaving you with a parting gift for the night. Oh, and don't forget about that date you promised me. Alright?"

Naruto was left unable to respond and just watched her retreat up the stairs before she disappeared into her room.

What a devious girl.

* * *

**One problem endeth, another cometh.**

…..**endeth isn't a word, is it?**

**Whatever! I fly blind now.**

**But that's all from me. Hope it was enjoyable.**

**Till next time.**


	11. Indecisive, but Determined

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 10:  
****Indecisive, but Determined**

When Ichika got back to the apartment, she was expecting to find everyone fast asleep. It was already past two in the morning, after all. She hadn't meant to stay out this late, but her audition had gone on far longer than she had expected. Mostly because of all the extra takes they had asked from her and some of the other girls. Apparently they were looking to shoot the commercial as soon as possible, and there was another producer on sight who was looking for people to fill in some extra roles for his film.

Ichika was more than determined to show that could be in both, and her agent was ready to expose her to as many people as possible to get it done.

It was exhilarating for her, if she was being honest. For once, Ichika felt focused on what she was doing. Like she could actually get somewhere. It was a feeling she never got at school. That's one of the reasons why her motivation towards her grades was so lacking.

'Ah, but the new tutor…..'

Ichika was going to have to figure out a way to get out of that. Maybe convince him that he only had to focus on the other four? It would make his job easier, so Ichika doubted he would have a problem with it.

'I don't think Naruto-kun will appreciate that, though.'

Knowing the blond, he was probably going to convince her to try harder, or something along those lines. Ichika felt she knew Naruto well enough to guess that much.

And speaking of said blond.

"Naruto-kun?"

To say Ichika was surprised was an understatement. When she walked into the apartment, she didn't think she would find Naruto sitting in the sofa in the living room. He was idly going through his phone. Probably trying to find an app or something. Emphasis on "trying." The guy failed miserably when it came to technology. He could do many things, but work out a phone was not one of them.

It was cute.

Naruto looked up at her with relief and set his phone down.

"You're finally here. I was starting to get worried."

Ichika looked a bit sheepish as she joined him on the sofa. "Yeah, sorry about that. Things got hectic in my audition. I didn't think you were going to be here, or I would have called."

"You should have called regardless." Yikes, he was mad. "Why did you even stay out this late? You know you have school tomorrow, right?"

"E-Eh, well yeah." Ichika set her bag down and laughed awkwardly. "To be honest, school wasn't on my mind at all. If I nap in some classes, it won't be so bad."

"Do you really think your grades can afford that?"

"That's just mean, Naruto-kun."

"I'm just being the responsible adult here."

"That's funny. You, responsible."

"Now who's being mean?"

"Ehehehe."

Ichika tried to play the "cute character," but it didn't work as Naruto simply flicked her on the forehead.

"Stop it. Only Yotsuba can pull that off now."

Ichika had a more sexy appeal, but that was not something Naruto was going to admit to her.

"Jeez, you're still so forceful." Ichika rubbed her forehead and pouted. "Delicacy, remember?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I don't have the patience for that right now. Not when you're staying out this late on a school night."

"Oh wow, you're taking this seriously, aren't you?" Ichika started to stretch out her arms, a wave of fatigue hitting her. She would have liked if Naruto's eyes wondered south, but the blond didn't budge.

Party pooper.

"You didn't try to stop me before, though."

"I was preoccupied with your troublesome sisters. Now it's your turn."

"You don't have to be so blunt about it." Ichika then blinked. "Wait, did you manage to bring Nino back?"

"Yep, sure did." Naruto gave her a peace sign. "She's sleeping in her room as we speak. She and Itsuki made up too. I'm pretty sure they understand each other better now."

Ichika was taken back. She knew Naruto would solve the problem, but she never thought it would be this quickly.

'I guess I can't buy more time for myself.'

It was another sneaky ploy from her, to try and get the attention away from her. But looks like it didn't end up working. Damn this blond and his determination.

"I am curious, though. How did you get Nino to come back?"

Knowing her, she would be kicking and screaming before she came back peacefully. Not after that fight.

"Ah, that." Naruto scratched his cheek. "It's the same thing I wanted to talk to you about."

"Me?"

"Yeah. I think it's about time I was honest with you."

The fatigue left Ichika when she heard this. What was Naruto talking about? Being honest about what?

"You've asked me before, about my past." Ichika felt her heart start to beat faster. Was this going where she thought it was going? "I think I've blown you off enough. If you don't mind listening, I'd like to tell you everything about me."

Ichika was not going to say no to this. Not after all these years.

So she listened, just as Nino had listened before her. She made sure to memorize every detail that Naruto told her. About his world, about his coming here. It was a story that defied all expectations.

If it were anyone else, Ichika would have dismissed them right away. But she didn't do this. Not with Naruto.

She believed every word.

* * *

Naruto was sure it was past three o'clock when he and Ichika went outside to the veranda for some fresh air. Well, Ichika needed it more than him. He was just following her, to make sure everything was okay.

Ichika believed him, though. It was just too much to take in all at once. Ninjas, chakra, a goddess, gigantic monsters, and so much more. It was a lot. It totally sounded other-wordly. Or the stuff a demented person might come up with.

But still, Ichika believed him.

"I've wondered for so long what you were hiding, and to know now…."

"Underwhelming?" Naruto teased.

Ichika almost snorted with laughter. "Pfft, I wish. If you told me you worked for the mafia, that might have been easier to handle. Or that you were some deposed prince."

That last one would have been really romantic. Her, marrying a prince. How many girls could claim that? Not that they were getting married or anything, but still.

The future was still undecided. So maybe?

No, wait. She was getting embarrassed just thinking about it. Better let it be for now.

"It certainly would have been easier." Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "I might have been more honest with you then. But I took my sweet time and lied to you. I'm sorry."

It was an honest apology. Especially since it looked like he had nothing to worry about. He really dropped the ball on this one.

"Hmm, but you're not asking me the most important part." Ichika held up her finger and smiled. "Do I believe you? Or is that not important to you?"

"If you didn't believe me, I'm pretty sure you would have called the cops by now. Or kicked me out. So I think my chances are okay."

He wasn't wrong.

"And." Naruto hesitated for a moment here before coming out with it. "I already talked to Nino about this, and she told me she believed in me. That's why I feel more comfortable talking with you about it."

As painful as it would be to have Ichika reject him, Nino was still there for him. That's why his heart and mind were at ease. Just having that one person who was there for you was enough.

"I see." Ichika felt a bit disappointed by that. Nino had beaten her again. She had gotten the truth before her. Ichika knew it was circumstantial, but….

'No, that's just another lie.'

Another lie to try and comfort herself. But Ichika knew. With the way Nino approached things, it was only natural that she was able to get ahead so easily.

It didn't make it easier, though. It almost felt hopeless. Did she have a chance at all?

"But man, it has been a long day." Naruto suddenly felt tired, very tired. It was probably because of the emotional roller coaster that he went on today. "I feel like everything's work out for the best, though."

Ichika saw the exhaustion in Naruto's eyes.

"You've worked hard, haven't you?"

"Yeah, but when it comes to you I'm always doing that. So it's no problem."

Ichika pouted. "That just makes it sound like we cause you a lot of problems."

"Obviously."

"Sheesh, why are you so mean!"

"I like to call it honesty."

"Some things are better left unsaid."

"Ahahaha, yeah but not this."

"You're terrible. You probably don't deserve this, but I'm going to give you a reward just for tonight."

"What-"

Naruto wasn't able to finish as Ichika started to pull him back inside. Naruto could have easily overpowered her, but he allowed Ichika to guide him.

Ichika sat back on the sofa where she made Naruto lay his head on her lap. Naruto was very surprised by her actions, but he didn't stop her.

"What is this?"

Ichika smiled down at him and began to gently stroke his hair. "Like I said, it's your reward. You helped my little sisters out. Of course I'm going to be grateful."

A reward, huh. Sure enough, Naruto felt very comfortable in this new position. It was the first lap pillow he had ever experienced.

"It's so soft and squishy."

Ichika's face went redder than a tomato. "Y-You didn't have to say that!"

"But it's true."

"Again, s-some stuff doesn't need to be said! Don't make me regret doing this for you!"

Naruto wisely kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to lose this privilege.

Ichika sighed and tried to calm her beating heart. That had really caught her off guard.

"You're really hard to understand sometimes."

"Am I really?" Naruto didn't see himself that way. He thought he was pretty straightforward, his past notwithstanding. "I'd say it's you guys who are the confusing ones."

"I think that's only natural." Ichika beamed down at him. "I don't think there's a single girl on this planet who isn't confusing."

Was that so? No wonder Naruto had had girl problems all his life then. There should be a manual on this stuff or something.

Ichika's lips thinned. She was enjoying this moment between them, but there was still something she needed to know.

"Say. Do you ever…..think about going back? If you had the chance to, would you take it? Would you leave?"

Would he leave them? Leave _her_?

Naruto wasn't facing her way, so he couldn't see what face Ichika was making. But knowing her, she was probably worried and anxious for his answer.

Silly girl.

"That's a hard question. If you had asked me this five years ago, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. But now….."

It wasn't so straightforward now. He definitely wanted to know what happened to everyone back home. To know of their fates. To know if Sasuke, Kakashi, and Sakura were alive. About Kurama. He definitely still had that desire within him.

However...

"I don't think I could just up and leave," Naruto said at last. "Not when you're all here. And Nino….I still need to respond to her feelings properly. I could never leave things unfinished between us."

"Nino….." Ichika started to poke his cheek with a pout. "Why only her? What about me?"

"Ah." Naruto closed his eyes and smiled in defeat. "Does that mean your answer is the same? Your feelings haven't changed?"

"What? Do you want them to?" Ichika felt a wave of dejection at the thought.

"Honestly, it would make things a lot easier for me," Naruto said, his eyes still closed. "I don't want to hurt either of you."

But that's where things were headed. One of them heartbroken, because he chose the other.

"Well, you just have to put up with that." Ichika huffed. "You fought in a war, right? I'm sure you can handle two girls having feelings for you."

Except Naruto would rather stare down the Juubi again than do this. Ichika and Nino were both incredible in different ways. Trying to come to a decision was going to be hard, especially when he didn't fully understand how far his feelings went. That's why he couldn't take this decision lightly.

"Ugh, you two are such a pain. And idiots too. You need to pick guys better. Didn't your mother tell you to not get hooked on bad guys?"

Naruto had been swept up by Nino's acceptance earlier, but now that he had time to think he could see just how stupid Nino and Ichika were being. There were better guys out there for them, and yet they chose him. Someone who was like a toddler when it came to romance. Not to mention all the baggage he was carrying.

Ichika giggled, her eyes twinkling in fondness. "Yeah, she used to tell us that all the time. Warning us about the dangers of bad men. But." She leaned down to whisper into his ear. "I'm pretty sure she would approve of our choice."

"Heh, you sure about that?" Naruto finally turned and looked up. He found Ichika staring intently at him. She didn't look away even when their eyes met. "I'm the person she had to help more than once. I was probably nothing more than a failure to her."

It was a harsh sentiment, but that's how Naruto felt about himself during that time. Back then…..

"You two talked about a lot of stuff, didn't you?" Ichika recalled the incident at the hospital, and then she knew about their second talk a week or so after that. It was only because of that second incident that Naruto started to open up more to them.

"Yeah, she's the one who made me stop brooding."

"To be fair, I don't think anyone can blame you for feeling like that. Not after losing everything you know."

"Maybe, but feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to change anything. She helped me remember that."

The way Naruto spoke of her mother….Ichika could hear the clear admiration in his voice.

"You really looked up to her."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah. I grew up an orphan, so I never knew what it was like to have a mother. But Rena was definitely the kind of mother I would want."

She was certainly very similar to Kushina in many ways. Both beautiful and strong. They had a charm that wasn't easily duplicated.

Ichika's cheeks turned puffy. "You're making me jealous over here. Gushing over my mother like this."

Ichika had looked up to her mother as well. As had the rest of her sisters. But she still felt some sense of jealousy to hear how smitten the blond was with her.

Naruto snorted at the idea. "It was never anything like that. Pretty sure your mother only saw me as a brat she needed to help. Her duty as a teacher made her like that."

"Maybe, but I don't think she would have gone that far for just anyone," Ichika argued back. "Maybe she saw something in you."

The same thing she saw.

Naruto wasn't convinced, but if there was any merit to that idea at all, then it came from that day.

* * *

_It was in the afternoon. Or so Naruto thought. Time was just sort of meshing together by this point for him. It had been eight days since his recovery and departure from the hospital. In that time, he had moved in with Rena and her daughters._

_Maruo had been opposed to the idea very strongly. In his words, it was bad enough she was covering the cost for his hospital bills, but now she was going to support him too? It was beyond foolish in his mind._

_Rena hadn't cared, though. She had made up her mind, and Naruto had followed her. Well, it was more like she had brought him here. Naruto hadn't agreed or disagreed with the idea. He just didn't care anymore._

_Why should he? There was no point to his existence here. He didn't belong in this place, but he had no idea what to do. How could he even get back home? How had he arrived here in the first place? The only lead he had was the alley Rena had found him in, but that had been a dead end._

_Kurama wasn't here either. Naruto had no one. He might as well have failed. He failed everyone who had ever believed in him. The weight of that was more than enough to crush him spiritually and mentally. He wasn't eating much either. No point to it. At this rate, he was fine dying where he lied. It's practically what he deserved anyway._

"_You know, I didn't help you only to have you lying around like a bum. It's a bad image to my daughters."_

_Rena entered his room. Well, it was technically the living room. She stayed in the only actual bedroom with her five daughters._

_Naruto didn't much care either way._

_Rena was coming back from work. It had been a bit difficult to transition back after being in the hospital for so long, but she was learning to handle things as usual. Most of all, she was happy to see that her students had welcomed her back with open arms. It was one of the greatest feelings as a teacher._

"_You know you can't continue this, right?" The graceful woman headed to the kitchen. "If nothing else, you have to go to school."_

"_There is nothing for me there."_

"_And how would you know that if you never go?" Rena started to look for something to drink in the small refrigerator that they owned. "There are two other troublemakers like you in my class. I have a feeling you might hit it off with them."_

_In a good way of course. The last thing Rena wanted was for more problems to arise._

"_You don't have to do all that for me." Naruto's voice was low, and it was defeated. It conveyed exactly how he felt right now. "I'm not worth it. It probably would have been better if you left me to rot in that alley."_

_That way, he might not have had to live with this guilt._

"_A person's worth isn't measured by others. It comes from how you see yourself. And right now, you're right. You aren't worth anything." Rena turned to him with a stern glare. Naruto couldn't see it, but he could still feel her eyes on him. "However, you're mistaken if you think I'm just going to let a person in need such as yourself wallow in pity forever. I may not know what kind of life you've had, but I know that behaving the way you are now won't help anyone. Especially yourself."_

_That still didn't answer Naruto's question. Why? Why was she doing all of this for a stranger? It just didn't make sense._

"_Your potential is yours to do as you see fit. However, right now you're only squandering what talents you have." Rena shook her head. "There are many others who have less, but they're still willing to keep fighting every day. How can you not do the same?"_

"_Because I've lost too much."_

_Replacing what he lost….it just wasn't possible._

"_Perhaps. Or perhaps you're not looking hard enough." Rena gave her back to him. "Remember. If what you've lost is too big to replace it with a single thing, then find a hundred or even a thousand little things. I'm sure that can fill the hole in your heart."_

_It was a simple piece of advice, but those words managed to cut deep through Naruto's heart. It was a sentiment he should have been familiar with, and yet he had failed to uphold it. It was a frustrating moment for him, as well as an embarrassing one._

_But it was also a moment he wouldn't soon forget._

* * *

After that, it didn't take long for Naruto to take Rena's advice and start going to the high school she worked at. It was meant to be a first step in trying to find his "something" in this world. It was there where he met Asagi and Ken, the two idiots he was still friends with to this day. Back then, the three of them got into all sorts of trouble and only became friends due to those hectic times. A lot of which had to do with that club he visited earlier.

Fun times.

"Well, regardless of the reason, I'm glad things turned out the way they did." Ichika was more positive about the situation. "You've been able to find your way in this world, right?"

Yeah, but he had stumbled a lot. Even today, he saw just how much he had still been clinging to the past.

'You'd probably scold me again, Rena.'

Which he would deserve.

"Why are you looking so grumpy now?" Ichika started to poke his cheek again. "You're on a beautiful girl's lap, but you're not even enjoying it. You're making this big sister want to lose her confidence."

"Well, it's not like you're suffocating me with them either."

It was funny for Naruto to see how Ichika's face went from teasing, to shocked, to downright embarrassed. He was sure steam was coming out of her ears too.

"S-Since when did you get so perverted, huh!? I'm ashamed to know you!"

"Ha, you're really cute, you know that?"

"Flattery won't get you anywhere now!"

She was complaining, but she still wasn't kicking him off her lap. Was she secretly enjoying getting embarrassed like this?

'God, I'm starting to think like Ken.'

A sure sign that the world was coming to an end.

"Ah, this is bad." Ichika wanted to hide her face right now. "I'm not good with this stuff. I want to get closer to you, but I'm also scared. I've never been in a situation like this before."

"Then don't sweat it." Naruto smiled. "I'm the idiot who froze when you confessed to me. Compared to that, I'd say you're more brave."

Ichika shook her head. "I was only able to do that because of Nino. I try to act like the more mature one, but I can't hold a candle to her."

"Maturity comes in different forms, Ichika. You shouldn't beat yourself up for that. Regardless of how it happened, you still made my heart stop. That counts for something, doesn't it?"

"And now you're getting bolder too." Ichika began to smile again. "A lot of stuff has happened since this morning, hasn't it?"

That was an understatement. It wasn't that Naruto was knowledgeable or anything like that. Really, it was the total opposite. At this point, he was just going with the flow. He wasn't going to stress over the details. Whatever happened, happened.

"I think I should take a page out of your book." Ichika tapped her cheek, looking as if she was thinking deeply about something. But she already knew exactly what she was going to do. "You still owe me that favor from earlier, after all."

Naruto grimaced. "You still remember that?"

Ichika shot him a fake glare. "You forgot about something important, so of course I'm going to remember."

Naruto didn't see the logic there, but he still went with it. Easier that way. Less bloodshed too.

"Fine, fine. I did say I was going to make it up to you. Did you come up with something?"

"Mhmm, a date!"

It was still frustrating in a way, that she couldn't just ask him out. Ichika was sure Nino would do things differently, that she would be more straightforward than this. Ichika wasn't like that, though. This was her path for now. But if she kept going like this, then maybe one day…..she could take that leap forward.

No, she had to. If she was going to win this.

"Heh, well, if that's what you want. I have no problem with it." Naruto looked up at her with a one of his famous grins. "Sure, let's go on a date."

The way Ichika's face lit up was more than enough of a treat for Naruto.

It was definitely going to be tough, and there was no knowing where his heart was going to lead him. But there was no denying that there was something there. For these two girls who were able to still look at him like a normal person, to still be able to claim that they loved him.

Naruto was ready to take his next path down this future.

* * *

**Ichika has the squishiest thighs. There, I said it.**

**So who's ahead? Nino? Ichika? Depends on how you look at things. The ending has already been decided, though.**

**Next chapter we get started with Fuutarou and his journey down his romance, and more bromance too of course.**

**That's all from me.**

**Till next time.**


	12. Okay, let's really study this time

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 11:  
****Okay, let's really study this time**

It was another morning and another day. Naruto still felt tired from last night's events. He had only been able to get two hours of sleep at most. Just getting out of bed almost made him trip. He had really turned lazier over the years.

Shikamaru would be proud.

He had work early in the morning. It was the only reason he would be waking up at this ungodly hour.

'Nino and the others should be heading to school today…...'

Hopefully there weren't anymore problems. They really needed to start their studying, after all. And Fuutarou couldn't help them if they were sidetracked by other issues.

'Let's just have hope.'

Yesterday was over with. Today was going to be a different story. Hopefully a brighter one.

Naruto went through his usual routine. He took a shower, got dressed, and made himself some ramen to give him the boost he needed to get through this morning.

By the time he was getting ready to leave his apartment, he was already feeling energized. Ramen was definitely the best way to start the day.

He had his stuff ready in his bag when his phone started ringing. Right away he got a bad feeling, only because lately all his calls had only led to something troublesome.

That bad feeling only got stronger when he saw the caller ID.

It was Maruo. The man never called unless it was really important. And important usually meant problematic when it came to him.

Naruto still answered the call.

"Hello?"

"_Good morning, Uzumaki-kun. I hope I'm not disturbing your sleep."_

"Not at all, sir. I'm actually getting ready to go to work."

"_Wonderful news. An early morning is key to success."_

Naruto disagreed, but he wasn't going to argue. His reasons for disliking early mornings were the definition of childish, after all.

"_I must still apologize for calling you so early, but this could not wait."_

Of course it couldn't.

"Is there a problem?"

"_You could say that. I got a call yesterday informing me that Nino wasn't at school. Would you happen to know anything about that?"_

Of all the things he could have asked.

'Dammit, Nino.'

Things might have been smoothed over, but her careless attitude was still biting him in the ass.

"Y-Yeah, there was a slight problem." Naruto tried to chuckle it off, but he knew it wasn't going to work. "It's nothing major. In fact, everything is good now! I'm positive she'll be in class today."

There was silence. Naruto had no idea if that was good for him or not. You could never get a good read on this man. It was kind of scary really. He might be used to it now, but it still unnerved him sometimes.

Maruo finally spoke again.

"_I see. I hope this doesn't affect her performance too much."_

Yeah, hopefully.

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about there. Nino will be taking her studies very seriously."

A total lie. Naruto knew Nino probably wasn't going to make things easier for Fuutarou. He was going to have to do something about that too.

"_That does put my mind at ease. Should I assume the new tutor did a good job as well?"_

Something like that, yeah.

"He's very eager to help them."

That's all Naruto could say without lying through his teeth.

"_Hmm. I understand. Then I'll leave it to you. However, the next time there is a problem, I hope you consult me. I don't want to be in the dark about these things, you know?"_

Then maybe you should come to see your daughters once in a while?

That's what Naruto wanted to say anyway, but he held his tongue. If only out of respect for everything the man had done for the quintuplets. Even so, it was a touchy subject for him. It had been for many years now. Somehow, Naruto hadn't exploded yet.

So maybe he was a bit more mature now.

"Sure, I can do that. But I don't think you'll have to worry about anything like this happening again."

Again, hopefully.

"_I see. I will take your word for it."_

That should have been the end of the conversation. Under normal circumstances that is. However, certain things had changed.

"There is actually something I need to talk to you about."

Naruto hadn't planned on bringing this up to the man. At least, not yet. But this was as good a time as any.

"_Oh?" _He definitely sounded surprised. _"Is there something the matter, Uzumaki-kun? If it's about money, then-"_

"No, nothing like that." Naruto felt a little insulted. His finances were good thank you very much. But he put that aside. Now wasn't the time for childish reactions like that.

Not that the actual topic was any better. But it needed to be done.

There really wasn't a "good" way to bring this up, so Naruto decided to just come out with it and say it.

"I'm interested in dating one of your daughters."

* * *

There was a certain celebratory mood in the Nakano apartment that morning. Unlike the previous day, the five sisters were all on good terms with one another. There was no heavy talk, no fighting, and no running away. It was just their usual breakfast and lighthearted conversation.

As usual, Nino had cooked for them. There were times they took turns of course, but Nino wanted to be the one to do it today. It was probably her way of trying to say "I'm sorry" for her recent actions. Not that anyone was complaining. Nino was the best cook among them, after all.

Still, they could see that Nino was in a _very _happy mood. Even when compared to Ichika.

"Something good happened, huh." It was Miku taking a guess. She was the only one who had missed last night's proceedings, after all. Even Yotsuba had played a role.

Nino smiled. "You could say that."

She still vividly remembered the kiss on the cheek from last night. It wasn't the same as a kiss on the lips, but it was definitely major progress! The reaction she got from Naruto had only made it that much sweeter for her.

Ichika felt like pouting for some reason.

"Who cares about the details!?" Yotsuba raised her fork. "We're all together again! That's all that matters!"

Itsuki agreed. "Yes. Hopefully something like that doesn't happen again."

They all agreed on that. Even if it had only been for a day, it had been painful to be separated from one another.

"We can start focusing on our studies again!" Yotsuba cheered. "Ichika and Nino were missing yesterday, but today we're going full throttle!"

Nino almost blanched. "Ugh, I forgot about that."

That new tutor was going to be coming back today. That really soured her mood.

Miku was thinking along the same lines. "He didn't look like he was going to quit."

"Come on, you guys!" Yotsuba pouted at them. "He's not a bad guy! He definitely means well. We should at least give him a chance, right?"

"Eh, what's this?" Nino gave her a bored glance. "You taken a liking to him or something? Got a crush?"

Yotsuba's face turned redder than a tomato. "O-Of course not! How could you even say something like that!?"

"It was just a joke, jeez. Don't take it so seriously."

Maybe, but Yotsuba's rapidly beating heart didn't take it that way.

"Well, I'm sort of a lost cause." Despite her words, Ichika didn't seem worried in the slightest. "I don't think it'll make a difference if I show up or not."

Itsuki huffed. "He's a total stuck up know-it-all. I don't need his help to pass."

Miku didn't say anything, but it was obvious that she was agreeing with the two.

Nino had to raise an eyebrow at their reactions. This was sort of unexpected for her. She didn't think the others would take such a dislike toward the new guy. She was a bit curious to know why they were acting so negatively, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Only Yotsuba looked gloomy by their words. "Don't say that. What's the harm in at least trying to get along?"

"I just don't think he'd be able to help me," Ichika said, looking apologetic. "I don't want to waste my energy on something useless."

It was a bit harsh, toward Fuutarou and herself. But Ichika meant it. She was sure she would get nowhere. That's why she'd rather focus her energy on building her career. She was sure that was the responsible thing to do.

Yotsuba couldn't accept that, but she knew she wasn't going to convince them otherwise. That's why, in a rare moment of brilliance, she thought of another way to get them to understand.

"You might not like it, but I'm sure Naruto-sensei will make you stay whether you like it or not."

Realization dawned on the other four.

Miku looked away with a scowl. "That guy."

She couldn't force her way around him. No way. He was far too strong for that.

"Yikes." Ichika smiled weakly. "I had forgotten about that."

Itsuki looked down at her lap, her face full on pout mode. "It's not fair. Even if we try to escape, I'm sure he'd just find us and drag us over here."

Nino was living proof of that.

Speaking of said girl, she was staring down at her plate with the same kind of annoyance as Itsuki. She knew Yotsuba was right on the money with this. Naruto was definitely going to make sure they participated in these tutoring sessions. He was annoying like that.

'I really shouldn't put too much thought into that anyhow.'

Yeah, Nino knew she had to stay positive here. She had made more progress than just a kiss on the cheek.

She had a date to look forward to. So many possibilities started running in her head, making her giddy again.

The other four sweatdropped when they saw Nino start to giggle to herself. She had been doing a lot this morning. It was almost creepy.

No, wait. It was definitely creepy.

"Disgusting." Miku's face was full of disdain. Why shouldn't it be? Romance was so stupid.

Nino snapped out of her fantasies before looking at Miku with annoyance.

"Oh, shut up. I'm allowed to dream."

"About what? How you're going to fail?"

"Like you have any room to speak." Nino scoffed. "And for your information, I was thinking about the date I have with Naruto."

Ichika almost fell to the floor in a coughing fit.

"Y-Your what-!?"

Itsuki sighed and looked away. She just knew Nino wasn't going to be able to keep her mouth shut about that.

Nino shot Ichika a smirk. "Yeah, that's right. I asked Naruto out on a date, and he said yes."

That wasn't _exactly _how it had gone down, but Nino didn't mind bending the truth a little. It was childish, she knew, but anything to make Ichika flustered.

"I-Is that so?" Ichika did her best to smile. "Funny thing. I asked him out on a date too, and he said yes."

You could just hear the pin dropping in the room.

'T-They're going to fight, aren't they?' Yotsuba thought with sweating bullets. And just when things were going so well this morning.

It took Nino a couple of seconds, but she was able to regain her composure. It was obvious she wasn't happy, though.

"I…..see. I didn't think you would do that."

"I thought I was pretty clear before." It was Ichika's turn to be a little foxy now. "I'm serious about this."

Just like Nino, Ichika was bending the truth here. She hadn't been totally honest with Naruto last night, but she wasn't going to share that. Catching Nino off guard was more than a reward for her.

"W-Well, it's not like he's dating either of you yet, so I don't think there's anything wrong with that…..." Itsuki trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"T-That's right!" Yotsuba chimed in. "I'm sure Naruto-sensei is just doing this to make sure he understands his feelings better!"

But Nino and Ichika already knew this. They didn't need Yotsuba telling them something like that for them to understand. And most of all, it was as Itsuki said. Neither of them was officially dating Naruto at the moment. Getting frustrated over something like this…...it didn't make sense, but it's how they were feeling right now.

It was like whatever progress they made was suddenly thrown out the window.

Miku sighed. Romance was totally stupid alright. She still chimed in.

"I don't think you two fighting between yourselves is going to fix anything. In the end, it's Naruto's decision, right? Heck, he might not even choose either of you."

Miku's words stabbed right through both of the girls, whose shoulders dropped in total dejection.

"T-That's right," Nino muttered. She hadn't thought of that possibility, but Miku was right on the money. Naruto hadn't answered their confessions yet. He could still totally reject them.

Ichika puffed out her cheeks. "You're so cruel, Miku."

She didn't need to hear something like that!

Miku just shrugged. "Hey, I'm just trying to stop another fight from breaking out. Besides, do you really think you're the only girls interested in him?"

Her words made them freeze up. Even Itsuki and Yotsuba looked at Miku with wide eyes.

Nino didn't want to make assumptions just yet, though.

"What are you saying, Miku?"

The girl stood up from the table with her plate in hand. "Isn't it obvious? I'm sure Naruto has more people in his life than just us. It wouldn't be strange if there's another girl out there who also likes him. She might even already be planning on snatching him away."

Her explanation didn't make Nino feel better.

Ichika could only gape.

But once again, they had to accept Miku's words as the truth. It was another possibility they hadn't considered, but they had to now.

Nino frowned. 'Another girl….'

'…interested in Naruto-kun….' Ichika bit her lip.

How annoying.

Miku gave them one last glance before walking off to clean her plate.

'Are you sure you're not that girl?'

She ignored that question.

This left the other four sitting at the table with a depressing atmosphere.

Most of all, it left Yotsuba feeling more guilty again. Miku's words only made her realize how problematic she was being. Again. It definitely felt like she was betraying her sisters by just _thinking _about her feelings. At the same time, she couldn't just come out with something like this either. Especially when Yotsuba didn't fully understand it herself.

'And Uesugi-san…..'

It took all of Yotsuba's willpower to stop herself from yelling out in frustration.

That was how breakfast ended for the quintuplets. Not with a bang, but with a whisper.

* * *

"Ah, I feel like I could fly right now!"

Even though business was slow as usual, Naruto couldn't catch a break at all. Not when he had Ken screaming in his ear every couple of seconds.

Asagi was reaching the end of her patience too.

"Shut up already, you perverted oaf! We get it, you're happy! Now move on!"

"I just can't help it~" Ken didn't heed her words and only got more enthusiastic, even to the point of wiggling in place. "I was finally able to clear Ayumi-chan's route last night! It was just as glorious as I imagined it was going to be! She's totally earned a spot in my heart~"

Naruto didn't even need to ask. "You're still wasting your time with those games?"

"It's not a waste of time, you uncultured swine." Ken snapped at him. "I'm sorry that we can't all be like you and have a hot harem waiting at our side."

Why was this still a thing?

"You know, you still haven't spilled the beans about that." Asagi switched her focus to him. "Did someone confess to you or what?"

Seriously?

"Why are you worried about something like that?"

Asagi smirked. "I already heard the whole story. You asked for dating advice. From Ken of all people! I just know there's something going on. And I need to know what that is"

Ken grumbled. "I don't like the way you said that….."

He could give out good advice sometimes!

Naruto let out a sigh. They weren't going to stop bugging him about this, were they? Well, it's not like things were the same as before either. He could be more honest now.

"Yeah. Someone confessed to me."

Two people in fact.

Ken nearly collapsed to the floor, holding his chest like he was having a hear attack.

"So my worst fear has finally come true…..!"

_This _was your worst fear!? What the hell?

Asagi whistled. "Impressive. I thought Ken might have just been acting paranoid again, but I guess even a broken clock is right sometimes."

She just loved to lay it on him, didn't she?

"But come on, start talking. Who is it?" Asagi leaned in closer. "Is it someone from your gym?"

Pfft, as if. Naruto was sure everyone there was frightened of him. Well, except for his personal trainer of course.

"No. You've met them before. It's Nino and Ichika."

"S-So it's _two _of them." Ken slumped over, like a man without the will to live. "I was always joking when I said you had a harem. You didn't have to go and make it true. Are you trying to destroy my very existence?"

Amusing, but no.

"First of all, I don't have a harem." Just to make that clear. "Secondly, I'm not dating both of them." Wasn't that illegal? "I'm not even dating one of them."

That made Asagi and Ken look at one another in confusion.

"You're not?" Asagi didn't understand. "So you rejected them?"

"No. I…." Naruto scratched his cheek. "I'm sort of unsure about what to do still. I've known them for a long time, but I never actually saw them in that light. But recently, that's started to change. I'm positive there is something there. But I don't know what that is. Or who to choose."

Asagi had to smile. "So you're taking this seriously. I'm impressed."

She never would have imagined that she would see Naruto acting like this. Before, he was always against the whole idea of even _thinking _about dating.

'Looks like you've changed, huh.'

Asagi wondered what had happened to change his mind, but she wasn't going to push the issue. She knew Naruto was sensitive about certain topics. This just happened to be one of them.

"H'mph, you better take this seriously." Ken's whole demeanor changed from before. He was no longer depressed, but….content? "You remember what Hayato-san said, right? The emotions of others aren't to be messed with."

"I'm aware." A customer walked in, which Naruto turned to greet. But not before giving his friends some parting words. "That's why I'm going on a date with them."

Ken looked ready to murder someone.

"YOU SON OF A-!"

Asagi dragged him to the back of the store before he could finish, all the while shaking her head.

Naruto just chuckled to himself.

It was always fun to crush his friend's spirit.

* * *

Itsuki was ready to set the world on fire. Overreacting you say? Totally not! Not in these annoying circumstances.

"I'm just saying, you looked totally unsure on today's quiz. I'm guessing you didn't do well, right?"

Itsuki felt her hands twitching. If she had a weapon right now…..

"If you only told me what subjects you were bad at, I could have drafted a-"

"Why are you following me!?"

Itsuki's outburst made Fuutarou freeze, but only for a moment. He then deadpanned.

"What do you mean? We're going to the same place, right? So why shouldn't we walk together?"

The two were out of school already and were heading to the apartment so their tutoring session could begin. It was logical, perfectly so. That didn't stop Itsuki from fuming, though.

She was already at her wit's end from having Fuutarou approach her all day at school. It was always the same. He was always asking her about her grades and what subjects she needed help with. To say that she was flunking just about every subject was too embarrassing to admit, so Itsuki ignored him.

Or tried to. But the boy didn't seem to get the hint and still pestered her. Or maybe he did, and he was just being stubborn like her.

Itsuki didn't care. Either way, he was annoying and she didn't want to deal with him anymore.

Fuutarou still pressed on. "Look, we can put the past in the past, right? Helping you out is more important now. So stop being so whiny."

Whiny? She was being _whiny_!?

If looks could kill, Fuutarou would be a puddle on the side of the road from the way Itsuki was glaring at him.

"I really hate you."

Fuutarou nearly scowled. Damn his lack of social skills. They were really failing him right now. Just how the hell was he supposed to win this girl over anyway?

Itsuki simply kept on walking. Fuutarou made sure to follow. But the distance between the two of them was obvious. This still didn't deter him, though.

"The rest of your sisters are going to be there today, right?'

Naruto had promised him to get them all to come, but Fuutarou wasn't overly confident. Not after witnessing the emotional shit storm that took place yesterday.

"How should I know? Don't talk to me."

It was Fuutarou who glared at Itsuki now.

'Damn this girl….'

She wasn't going to make this easier on him. Not at all.

The pair didn't exchange any more words, which suited Itsuki just fine. They arrived at the apartment complex a few minutes later. Itsuki was almost compelled to just lock Fuutarou out of the building, but she knew she couldn't do that.

Naruto was going to be here, after all.

The two rode the elevator to the appropriate floor. There was more silence. It was unbearable for Fuutarou, but talking to her wasn't going to help him right now. He had to bide his time.

They were soon at the door to the apartment. They stepped inside.

Fuutarou was honestly expecting the worst, but he felt like he had hit the lottery when he saw Ichika, Miku, and Yotsuba already waiting for them in the living room.

'T-They're here!'

Even the one that had been missing before!

But wait, there were supposed to be five of them. So where's the fifth one?

'Did he fail?'

That's what Fuutarou was assuming, but Lady Luck smiled twice on him that day when Naruto and Nino emerged from the kitchen together.

'Hallelujah!'

If Fuutarou was a lesser man, he would be hugging Naruto right about now.

"Yo, you're finally here." Naruto greeted him warmly while Nino was already giving him the stink eye.

Fuutarou's eye twitched.

'S-She doesn't like me?'

Already!? How the hell had that happened!?

"We're all accounted for, Uesugi-san!" Yotsuba saluted him, her face brimming with excitement. "Naruto-sensei got everyone like he said he would."

And Fuutarou couldn't be more thankful.

"We were totally forced to be here, though," Miku said with puffy cheeks. "I tried to lock the door to my room, but…."

Naruto's face was cheerful like Yotsuba's.

"A lock isn't going to stop me, Miku~"

Miku could only pout.

"T'ch, that's what he did to me too," Nino complained as she took her place with the others on the sofa. "So annoying. A lady's privacy is very important, ya know?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Not with this, it isn't."

"Stingy."

Whatever.

"Anyway, I brought them to you like I said. It's your turn to teach them." Naruto slapped Fuutarou in the back. It was meant to be reassuring, but the boy was left gasping for air.

"J-Just how strong are you, you gorilla!?"

"Ahahaha, my bad!"

Stop smiling, you blond idiot!

Nino smirked. "What a weakling. Can't even handle one slap, huh?"

Fuutarou already knew he wasn't going to get along with her.

Naruto looked at Nino, his eyes narrowing. "Play nice. Remember. I'm watching."

Nino just huffed. He didn't have to make it sound like she was going to kill the guy.

"Well, we're all here. We might as well do something, right?" Ichika tried to play it nice. Mostly because there really wasn't any other option.

"I'm sure he can't do anything anyway." Itsuki crossed her arms, still angry that she had to be here. "He's in the same year as us, after all."

'Yeah, just keep talking.'

Fuutarou wasn't going to dwell on her attitude right now.

"First things first. Yotsuba! Did you finish the packet I gave you?"

"A-Ah….." Said girl blushed a little. "A-About that…."

What now!?

"I was going to finish it last night, I swear! But I accidentally fell asleep instead! And today during lunch, the girl's track team needed my help with some stuff. S-So I wasn't able to finish it then either….."

This girl…..

Fuutarou forced himself to not snap at her. Remember, he had to be nice here.

"Then what did you finish?"

Yotsuba dug out the packet from her bag before handing it over to Fuutarou.

The boy was quick to scan through the packet. It was halfway done, so it wasn't as bad as he'd thought.

However…..

"Just about every answer is wrong!?"

What the hell was this!? How much of an idiot was this girl!?

Yotsuba looked sheepish. "Ahahaha, yeah….."

There was nothing else to say about that.

Fuutarou held his head. Things had only just started, and he was already feeling exhausted.

"H'mph, Yotsuba is a special case." Nino gave Fuutarou a cold stare. "I'll just be upfront with you. We don't need a tutor. You have no reason to be here. The only reason we're here is because Naruto is forcing us."

From where he stood, Naruto frowned. He didn't say anything, though.

Fuutarou met her cold stare dead on. "Oh yeah? Yotsuba's poor performance says otherwise. And just today, I'm sure Itsuki failed-"

"D-Don't bring that up!" Itsuki cut him off with an embarrassed blush. "We didn't get our scores back yet, so there's no guarantee that I failed!"

"But you're not confident, right?"

"T-That has nothing to do with this!"

"It's got everything to do with it!" Fuutarou set his backpack down. He then rummaged through it before he found what he was looking for. "But alright. I had a feeling you wouldn't want to listen, so why don't you prove it to me instead?"

"Prove it?" Itsuki frowned and got her blush under control. "What do you mean?"

Smirking, Fuutarou presented them with different papers. "I made these last night. It's a test I based on our current lessons. To anyone who passes it, I promise to never talk to you again."

His proclamation got their attention right away.

"Seriously!?" It was Nino who was the most excited about this. "You mean it!?"

"Of course." Fuutarou looked at them. "I am not one to waste my time. I'll only deal with those that really need help."

His job was only to make sure they all passed. If he focused on the ones that were struggling the most, then his job would be that much easier! He already suspected Yotsuba wouldn't pass it, but the others were fair game.

"I'm a little surprised by this," Ichika said with a smile. "You're more daring than I thought."

At least someone complimented him.

Miku looked at Fuutarou. "What's a passing score?"

"Make it a fifty."

His answer made Itsuki frown. "You're really underestimating us, aren't you?"

Naruto silently shook his head. 'He really isn't.'

He could already see what Fuutarou was trying to do, and sadly it was going to blow up in his face.

'I guess he doesn't know yet, huh.'

All five of them were flunking.

Regardless, this was an interesting challenge and they all seemed eager to accept.

"H'mph, fine then." Nino grabbed one of the tests. "I don't want to do this, but if it means I never have to see you again then so be it."

It was harsh, but Fuutarou didn't care.

"That's right. Show me what you can do."

"We might as well." Ichika followed next, with Miku grabbing a copy as well.

Yotsuba tried to remain enthusiastic. "Yeah, let's do this!"

It was Itsuki who was left glaring at Fuutarou. "Alright, I accept your challenge." She took out her glasses from her bag and put them on. "I'll make sure you regret underestimating me."

Powerful words, but Naruto knew she wouldn't be able to back them up.

It seemed like they were the ones who were going to lose this face-off, but in reality it was Fuutarou who set himself up for failure.

After all, he had five girls to teach, four of which wanted nothing to do with him.

As they say, this was going to be an uphill battle.

And Naruto was going to enjoy it.

* * *

**A mixture of canon with non-canon. How fun.**

**Sorry for the long absence. Stuff happens, but I ain't dead yet.**

**When I said I was planning on starting Fuutarou's romance, I didn't mean I was going to focus on it. Some stuff will remain the same as canon, and in those moments I'll just leave it at that and won't focus on it. I don't want to rehash the manga/anime. Not unless I **_**have **_**to.**

**But yeah, two dates incoming. I wonder how those will go. Will they get steamy?**

**...I hope so.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Till next time.**


	13. Let's Strategize?

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Naruto or Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 12:  
Let's Strategize?**

This was a mistake, right? It had to be a mistake! If it wasn't, they wouldn't be sneaking around like this. Well, Nino was sneaking. Yotsuba was just looking after her, honest! It wasn't like she was totally curious about this as well. None at all. It had nothing to do with her, after all. Nothing at all.

Yes, this was all Nino's fault. Yotsuba had to be the responsible one here and stop her dear sister from committing a crime. That's all this was.

'I'm really not guilty here.'

But then why was she feeling so nervous?

"Are you going to just stand there or are you coming in?"

Yotsuba nearly squeaked. Nino was already walking into Naruto's apartment, using her spare key. There was no hesitation in her step at all. If Yotsuba didn't know any better, she would think Nino owned the place!

'….that's probably what she's thinking anyway.'

Unlike Nino, Yotsuba took her time walking into the apartment. Naruto wasn't inside of course. Apparently he was out with Fuutarou or something. The blond had been vague about the whole thing. Yotsuba hoped they were getting along better now. If there was one thing she had come to know in the past week was that Fuutarou had no friends at all. It was sad really. She felt like Naruto was the perfect choice to get Fuutarou more relaxed and start enjoying life more.

'Miku would agree too.'

That was another thing. Miku had taken a sudden liking to Fuutarou in the past few days. Yotsuba had no idea what had happened between the two, but Miku had started taken their tutoring sessions more seriously. She looked….sorta happy?

Yotsuba was totally out of the loop there, but she didn't really care all that much. She was just happy to see that at least one of her sisters was accepting of Fuutarou now.

She wished she could say the same about the others.

"Now where could it be."

Yotsuba closed the door behind her as Nino muttered to herself. The long haired girl tossed her school bag on the small table absentmindedly. Yotsuba already knew what had Nino's mind so preoccupied, and she didn't like it. Not one bit!

"Are we even sure that Naruto-sensei even has something like that?" Yotsuba wondered out loud, trying to dissuade her sister from continuing.

"Don't be ridiculous." Nino waved her sister off. "He's a guy. Guys always have something like that with them. Besides, I totally saw him looking at my boobs the other day. He's definitely a pervert."

This time, Yotsuba did squeak, her face going red. "D-Did you really have to say that!?"

She didn't need to know what Naruto and Nino were doing!

…...wait, had they done something already!?

'No, calm down! They haven't even gone on their date yet!'

Yotsuba was sure her sister and brother-figure were still pure. For sure!

"Stop being so childish." Nino's voice didn't have her usual bite. She was too preoccupied with her mission to call Yotsuba out right now. "Once you fall for a guy, you'll understand."

Yotsuba was sure she wouldn't!

"Hmm. Maybe his room?" Nino was talking to herself again as she headed into Naruto's room.

Yotsuba followed after her, still embarrassed. "L-Look, I'm sure he'll know we were in here. Naruto-sensei is weirdly sharp like that. He's totally gonna get mad!"

"Huh?" Nino didn't seem to care at all, instead choosing to eye every corner of the room. "If you were so against it, then why didn't you say something earlier?"

"I did!"

"Pretty sure you didn't."

"I so totally did!" Yotsuba knew she had. But Nino hadn't listened to her at all!

First of all, it was totally weird for Nino to head off after school on her own. As Yotsuba had expected, it hadn't taken long for her sister to find friends in their new school. If Nino wasn't with one of them, then she hung out with her new friends after school before heading home. She couldn't stay out as long as she wanted because of Fuutarou and his tutoring sessions, but Nino still made sure to get home as late as possible without Naruto calling her out on it.

Except when they studied in the library those couple of times. She had no choice but to arrive on time for those sessions.

But Yotsuba was getting sidetracked here. After seeing her sister take off after school like a soldier going to war, Yotsuba was curious.

The reason for Nino's behavior was sillier than Yotsuba had expected. And also _really _embarrassing.

"I need to be prepared." Nino opened Naruto's closet and started going through it, like a dog digging for a bone. "My rival here is Ichika. I can't let my guard down for one second. This date could decide everything."

Yotsuba was honestly confused. She didn't think Nino needed anymore advantages than she already had. Then again, neither did Ichika. The two of them had always been the most popular out of the quintuplets. It was easy to see why. They were outgoing, fashionable, and beautiful. Despite being sisters, Yotsuba knew she couldn't compare to them at all. It was just a sad part of life.

'I really pity Naruto-sensei.'

He had to choose between the two of them. Just ouch.

"Hehehe, so he has these kinds of underwear, huh?"

Yotsuba snapped out of her thoughts to see that Nino had moved on from the closet and was now looking through Naruto's drawer where he kept his undergarments…...which she was holding one of. The underwear in question had several toad drawings on it. It definitely didn't match the more serious persona Naruto usually had.

It made Yotsuba smile a little. She didn't know why. She just did.

"Looks like he's got similar tastes to you, Yotsuba."

Ah, maybe that's why she was smiling?

'How embarrassing of me.'

Yotsuba tried to hide it as she said, "Put that back. It's embarrassing."

"More like cute." Nino still placed the boxer back where she found it. "I hope he wears something differently for our first time, though. Could kill the mood."

"W-WHAT!?"

Yotsuba was sure her face had never been this red before. But she was totally justified here! What did Nino say just now!?

"Hmm?" Nino looked back at her, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Don't think too hard about that. I was just thinking out loud."

Yotsuba almost fell to the floor in disbelief. "Y-You're too dangerous, Nino."

Had her dear sister always been this lecherous!?

"Hmm, I suppose you can't understand it." Nino hummed as she placed a finger under her chin. "After being in love with someone for so long, these thoughts are kinda normal."

"So you're that serious, huh?"

"Of course I am. Shouldn't that have been obvious from the beginning?"

Maybe, but Yotsuba wasn't sure. Nino had always seemed more playful about relationships before all of this. It's how she had treated all the guys who had asked her out before. Like they weren't worth her time.

'Naruto-sensei isn't like that, though.'

For once, it was Nino who was on the hunt. It was a new experience for her. Maybe that's why she was being so bold?

Ah, and because of Ichika of course. Can't forget about that.

"T'ch, I can't find it anywhere." Nino almost cursed as she moved away from the drawer and onto the bed. "Could it be….?"

Yotsuba knelt down to look under the bed, but she didn't see anything under there.

'That would be sorta cliché, though.'

Hiding stuff under the bed was so overdone.

"But what about…?" Nino mumbled as she looked behind the pillows. Her eyes widened with glee when she felt something. "Success!"

Say what now?

Yotsuba deflated when she saw Nino pull out a DVD case from behind the pillows.

'Naruto-sensei…..so weak.'

What kind of hiding place was that!? She expected more from him!

…..wait, no! That was the wrong thing to worry about here!

"I can't believe it." Yotsuba was starting to blush again as she looked at the DVD case next to Nino. Wait, no. It wasn't a DVD. It was a game?

"Naruto-sensei has something like this….?"

It was definitely a game. And the name of the game was….

"_Little Sister Paradise: I'll Squeeze It All Out_." Nino read the title out loud, and even though it was exactly what she had been looking for it still made her blush as well.

"Not possible! Not possible at all!" Yotsuba was in total denial. "Naruto-sensei can't play eroge games! He can't!"

It totally broke the innocent and outstanding image Yotsuba had for him!

"S-See? What did I tell you? H-H'mph." Nino was grinning like she had won the lottery, but she was just as shocked as Yotsuba. For all her talk, she was still innocent in these sorts of things. "He's a total pervert."

Yotsuba quickly shook her head. "This has to be a mistake! It has to be!"

Nino was more interested in the cover of the game. It depicted four different female characters, each in different skimpy outfits. Three of them were busty, while the fourth one had a more lean built.

"So he has this kind of fetish."

"We don't know that!" Yotsuba wasn't going to write Naruto off so easily. "This could be some misunderstanding for all we know!"

"Where's his laptop? I gotta see which character is his favorite."

"Are you even listening to me!?"

Nino wasn't, already planning her next move. Or she would have, if a third voice didn't interrupt them.

"What are you two doing?"

Nino and Yotsuba went pale as a ghost. For a second, they thought Naruto had caught them. That would have been the worst. Thankfully, when they turned around, they found Miku standing by the doorway.

"Oh, it's you." Nino instantly relaxed. "Don't scare me like that. I totally thought you were Naruto-kun for a second."

Miku didn't look pleased. "I may as well be. What are you two doing in here?"

"E-Eh, well." Yotsuba didn't know what to say and turned to Nino for support. But the girl was only cursing her bad luck. Could she not sneak around for one day without someone noticing her? First Yotsuba and now Miku.

Just damn.

"What do you have in your hand?"

Before Nino could react, Miku snatched the game from her hands. It didn't take long for Miku to read the title, and when she did she turned just as red as Nino and Yotsuba had.

"W-What is this!?" She all but hissed out, looking at the two for answers.

Nino shrugged. "Looks like Naruto-kun has been a pervert all this time. Who knew."

Really, this only worked in her favor. So she wasn't complaining.

Miku looked at the game again. Naruto owned this? No way...

"T-This has to be a mistake….."

"That's what I said!" Yotsuba exclaimed, glad to see she wasn't the only one who thought Naruto was innocent.

"Urgh, whatever. You two can argue about it all day if you want. I have better things to do." Nino snatched the game back and walked back into the small living room. "I still need to see what kind of things the idiot likes before our date. I can't pull my punches."

Yotsuba and Miku watched her go before looking at one another. Right away, they could see that they were thinking the same thing. That this was wrong and that they should Nino from going through with her plan.

But then again…..

Without a word, they followed after Nino, shamefully wanting to see what Nino found.

They silently promised to apologize for this later.

* * *

"Do you ever get the feeling something terrible is happening? But you can't do anything to stop it for some reason?"

Fuutarou stared at the blond sitting across from him like he had grown a second head.

"Where did that come from?"

Naruto blinked, looking confused. "Huh. No idea. Strange."

That had come out of nowhere, hadn't it?

"How weird are you?"

"Pretty weird I say." Naruto shrugged. "But we're not here to talk about me, are we?"

"I don't even know why we're here at all."

The two were in a family restaurant. Naruto had shown up at school today and told Fuutarou they were going out together. Fuutarou would have refused if not for the promise of food. His lunch was super basic as always, so he was starving.

Besides, taking a day off once in a while wasn't so bad, right?

Pfft, as if! Fuutarou really wished he could think that, but he didn't have such luxuries. All due to the quintuplets he was stuck teaching.

"I should kill you for this." Fuutarou didn't know if he should glare at Naruto or eat the delicious steak in front of him.

Naruto chuckled. "Come on, haven't you made any progress? It's been a week. I'm sure things have improved at least a little."

True. Fuutarou had a better relationship with Miku now. She and Yotsuba were in his corner. It made things more bearable. But still.

"Those girls are totally hopeless!" He needed to vent here. "They're never paying attention! Especially Nino and Ichika. Nino is always on her phone, and Ichika's napping all the damn time! Doesn't she have a bed at home or what!?"

Naruto didn't look surprised. He had been present during most of their tutoring sessions so far, having only missed the ones they had in the library. Seemed like Ichika and Nino acted out more there.

"So it's like that, huh."

It could be worse, true. Nino wasn't actively sabotaging him. She was just ignoring his presence. Same for Ichika. And Itsuki was…..well.

Fuutarou didn't want to talk about that.

"I think you're being too hard on them," Naruto said as he took a sip from his drink. "They're not fast learners, but at least they've taken the first step."

"I need faster results here." Fuutarou didn't want to get fired. "I don't think their father would appreciate it if they failed their first major test."

Naruto was more understanding there. His last talk with the man probably wasn't going to help Fuutarou in the slightest.

"Tell you what. Why don't we have an all weekend studying session at my place? That should help, right?"

Studying all through Saturday and Sunday should work fine, right?

"I guess." It wasn't like Fuutarou hadn't considered something like that, but if he brought it up there was no way those five would agree.

"It fits right into my schedule too." Naruto smiled. "I don't have to work this weekend, so I'm totally free."

After his date with Nino, the seven of them could really get to work. Ichika might not like waiting for her date, but if he could motivate her by using that as bait…..

'Mhmm, it could work.'

He was a bloody genius, wasn't he?

"Is that why you invited me out?" Fuutarou asked. "To plan this?"

"Sort of, yeah. And to make sure you hadn't lost your sanity yet."

As if.

"No worries. After getting my first paycheck, the smell of more green has kept my mind at ease."

That was the mindset of a gold digger, but Fuutarou was not ashamed. When you were stuck with so much debt, you stopped to care about the little things.

Naruto raised his drink. "That's the spirit. Also, Yotsuba tells me you and Miku have hit it off. That's quite an accomplishment. That girl never opens up to anyone."

The praise was unexpected, and Fuutarou felt pride rise within him. He still tried to downplay it, though.

"It wasn't a big deal. I just exploited her love of history is all."

Her _specific _type of history anyway.

"It's still nice to see. She's the one who had me worried the most, if I'm being honest. She's never had a friend outside of her sisters, so it's nice to see her socialize a bit."

Fuutarou frowned. "I'm their tutor, not friend."

Naruto chuckled. "Right."

Fuutarou twitched. He really didn't like the way Naruto was looking at him right now, like the blond was seeing right through him or something. But whatever. He was getting a free meal out of this, so Fuutarou would put up with the blond's misunderstanding for now.

"I've never really been one for studying, so trying to convince them to take school more seriously has always failed," Naruto said, looking sheepish. "I'm just happy someone like you showed up."

"You're getting carried away here," Fuutarou grumbled. He then said, "What about you? Aren't you in college?"

That's what Yotsuba had told him.

"Something like that." Leaning back in his seat, Naruto scratched his cheek. "I'm only doing it because I made a promise to someone. It won't really benefit me in the long run."

Imagine, thinking college was useless. Then again, everyone had their own path. It just so happened that for Fuutarou college was the best way to achieving his goals, so he was definitely being bias here.

"What are you studying anyway?"

"Business." Naruto sighed. "I only chose that because it was broad." And it didn't involve math. For the most part.

"You're not going to focus on anything specific?"

"Like I said, I'm only going because of a promise I made."

Doing anything else would just be a waste of time for him.

Fuutarou was starting to see why the quintuplets never took the blond's advice seriously. If he himself didn't believe in what he was saying, then why should they?

Well, whatever. It wasn't Fuutarou's concern. The blond was his own person, with his own life. What he did with it didn't matter to Fuutarou at all. He was sure the two of them would go their separate ways once this job was completed.

Friends? No, no. Fuutarou didn't need something like that. He was fine all by himself. Absolutely.

"Oh yeah." Naruto suddenly looked up, totally unaware of Fuutarou's depressing thoughts. "I almost forgot. There was another reason why I called you out here."

There was?

"I'm pretty sure they didn't tell you about it, but there's actually a big event coming up soon. Consider it my way of thanking you."

Big event? For some reason, Fuutarou was already on edge. Having already dealt with the quintuplets for a week now, he was completely justified in thinking this way.

What problematic situation was going to come up next!?

* * *

"I can't believe I almost overlooked this."

"Like I told you, you should always start with the bookcase. That's the likeliest spot for these things."

"You're right. There's no way Naruto-kun would actually read. It was all a coverup to begin with!"

"Exactly. Now we have a bigger sample size."

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Miku!"

Yotsuba felt like crying right now. "I'm glad you two are getting along, but why did it have to be over this!?"

As it turned out, skipping the living room had been a total mistake on Nino's part. It was something Miku had pointed out after the three had found the laptop and were getting ready to play the eroge game. It was a blessing that Naruto hadn't taken his laptop with him. Now, they could play the game for themselves.

But it wasn't just the eroge game that they discovered. Miku had inspected the bookcase and found several magazines stashed away in the back. These magazines were more "normal" than the game.

Yotsuba was still left blushing from it all.

"I can't believe it." Nino was looking through them in a flash. All the time she spent reading beauty magazines was really paying off. "So this is what he likes."

"You can download this stuff online these days." Miku was reading next to her, the game forgotten for now. "Why does he buy magazines?"

Was there a reason for that? Maybe it was more personal?

"J-Just stop reading!" Yotsuba pleaded as she tried to cover her eyes. But she still peeked through, the temptation proving too much for her.

"Oh! Ooooohhhh!" Nino was letting out some very disturbing noises as she continued to look through the magazines, her eyes fixated in their content.

The magazines were varied and contained different, let's just say, "models." It didn't look like Naruto had a specific body type that he preferred, if the models were anything to go by anyway. But there was no denying the overall kink that was found in them.

Knee-socks. Stockings. Business skirts. And the lingerie section. It was definitely high level stuff. They seemed to be of the more…..how do you say, "mature type." Not even Ichika had underwear like that.

Nino felt conflicted by this if she was being honest, something that Miku was all too happy to point out.

"Must hurt, huh?"

Nino looked at her. "What?"

"Naruto seems to like mature women. You totally don't fit that description at all."

She went right for it, didn't she?

"W-We don't know that!" Suddenly, Nino was feeling insecure, but she wasn't going to admit it. "Maybe it's just the outfits that he likes!"

Miku didn't look convinced. "And who would wear those kinds of outfits?"

Nino almost felt backed into a corner until she remembered the game that was on the table.

"The game says otherwise! He's totally into younger girls!"

Yotsuba really didn't want to hear this argument at all. Trying to discern Naruto's type was just embarrassing, plain and simple.

Miku glanced back to the game, her eyebrow twitching at the reminder.

'Why does Naruto have that?'

It really didn't make any sense to her.

Yotsuba fiddled with her fingers. "Are we really going to play it?"

What if when they started the game it was stuck in one of….._those _scenes? Yotsuba's heart couldn't take it!

"I don't care what you two do." Nino's mind was already made up. "I need as much information as I can."

Miku wasn't going anywhere. "We've already come this far. Might as well dig deeper."

If Nino and Yotsuba were thinking straight, then they would have questioned why Miku was even joining in on this. But their minds were too filled with lewd thoughts to worry about that. Nino was purposefully focused on such thoughts while Yotsuba was trying to fight them.

The atmosphere was really tense, but it was more sexual in nature than anything else. But that took a turn when the door to the apartment was opened, and in came two more people.

For the second time today, Nino was sure they were caught, only to see that it was Itsuki and Ichika who were walking in.

"What the-?" Nino almost scowled in their direction. "Is everyone trying to give me a heart attack today or what!?"

This was ridiculous!

Ichika crossed her arms. "I told you they would be here."

Itsuki looked defeated. "Okay, you were right. My mistake."

"Um." Yotsuba stood up and raised her arms in the air. "We can totally explain this I swear!"

Miku didn't think they could, especially since it didn't take long for Itsuki and Ichika to notice the magazines.

"What is this?"

The two girls tossed their bags to the side just like the others had done. They zoned in on the magazines, the two blushing when they saw what they were about.

"W-W-Wha-?" Itsuki stuttered, her vision going blurry as her brain tried to process the images she was seeing.

"Where did you get this?" Ichika was more calm, although she was still blushing a little.

"As it turns out, Naruto is a pervert." Miku had her doubts about the game, but the magazines? Not a chance she was defending that.

Itsuki almost shrieked. "I-I can't believe he would have something like this!"

Her big brother wasn't supposed to be a pervert!

"That's what I said too," Yotsuba mumbled to herself in the background.

Nino huffed. She was more concerned about something else right now.

"Why are you two even here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ichika calmly flipped through the pages of the magazine she was holding, making a mental note of some of the stuff she was seeing for the next time she went shopping. "We followed the rest of you. We knew something was up when you three left in a hurry like that."

Nino felt like facepalming. Her "secret" plan hadn't been so secret it seemed.

Itsuki was too engrossed with the magazines to give an answer.

"That stuff is normal." Miku pointed to the game on the table. "We were just about to explore the abnormal."

"Abnormal?" Ichika followed Miku's finger, and when she did her eyes widened. "That is-"

"Totally not from Naruto-sensei!" Yotsuba waved her arms like a wild animal, her cheeks flushed from all the secondhand embarrassment she was feeling. "It can't be!"

"Oh, stop being so innocent." Placing a hand over her chest, Nino looked smug. "Naruto-kun has five beautiful girls like us around him. Of course he would totally go for this kind of game."

And she felt proud of this why?

Nino was weird.

But the thought that Naruto might actually find her attractive was enough to make Yotsuba's mind go into overdrive. She stumbled and nearly passed out, unable to think properly anymore.

Itsuki and Miku felt their own embarrassment as well, but they were more subtle about it.

"Heh." Ichika was more amused than anything else as she picked up the game and looked over the cover. "So you're saying he's played this?"

"We were just about to find out."

Ichika and Nino locked eyes with one another, both understanding what they had to do.

Itsuki and Miku stood behind them in silent agreement with rosy cheeks while Yotsuba was too preoccupied with her own problematic thoughts to try and stop them.

They were so totally going to play this.

* * *

"T'ch, how does a stupid bum like you afford a place like this? Makes no sense! This world is totally unfair."

"We totally need to work on those social skills of yours, buddy. How do you plan on attracting more friends when you talk like that?"

"Don't need them. As long as I study, I'll be alright."

"Releasing you out into the world like this might be a mistake…."

"Who's being rude now!?"

"I'm making a simple observation is all."

"So was I!"

Naruto and Fuutarou were about ready to butt heads as they reached the door to Naruto's apartment. But their childish bickering had to stop when they heard the stream of voices coming from inside the apartment.

"Did you have company today?" Fuutarou asked, confused. Naruto had invited him over so that they could discuss their weekend plans in depth. Not that Fuutarou was happy to finally be invited somewhere mind you. Totally wasn't the case. It was all business, nothing else. But if he had people over….

Naruto looked lost.

"I don't?"

He hadn't brought someone over without his knowledge, right?

Thanks to the door the voices were muffled, so they couldn't make much of what was being said. Thankfully Naruto had just the solution for that.

He opened the door with his key. And what they found was…..disturbing to say the least.

It was the quintuplets, all huddled up together in front of his laptop in his tiny living room. They were playing a certain game, except it wasn't kid friendly at all. It was a game that Naruto had never wanted to see again. And the scene they were in was just not proper in the slightest.

"_Big Brother, I can totally feel you inside me!"_

"_How do you like it? When I speed up or slow down!?"_

"_Fast! Please go faster!"_

_"Ugh, I'm about to cum!"_

_"Inside! You have to do it inside!"_

"Incredible." Nino looked more focused than any other time Fuutarou had seen her, and it wasn't a compliment.

"I-I can't believe Naruto-sensei would watch something like this….!" It looked like Yotsuba was no longer trying to deny that Naruto owned the game. Her brain was totally fried now.

"I-It's only for research purposes," Itsuki muttered, trying to justify all of this to herself. "We're not liking this at all, right?"

Miku couldn't answer her, too busy listening to the dialogue to pay attention to her surroundings.

And Ichika…..well, she just giggled while masking her embarrassment.

"Naruto-kun, you're too naughty. Playing something like this."

She might need to have a word with him next time she saw him.

Fuutarou started to inch away from Naruto, looking at the older boy like he was utter trash.

For the blond in question, he could only break down in tears.

"IT'S ALL A LIE! I SWEAR!"

He was innocent! Completely, utterly innocent!

The gods must really hate him, huh?

* * *

**I was planning on releasing this chapter before Christmas. Whoops?**

**Happy late Christmas to everybody! I'll see y'all in the next decade.**

**Hope you enjoyed it.**

**Till next time.**


	14. Are you ready to date?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ****Gotoubun no Hanayome.**

* * *

**Chapter 13:  
****Are you ready to date!?**

_Out of the blue, Naruto found some kind of box being shoved into his hands._

"_You totally want this, don't you!"_

"…_...I don't even know what this is."_

_Ken wagged his finger. "Don't be so coy, my friend. Just look at the cover of this magnificent game! It mirrors your situation perfectly!"_

_Naruto stared at the cover of said game with a deadpan expression._

"…_..how old are you again?"_

"_Are you trying to insult the eroge industry by suggesting adults can't enjoy this!? Even if we're friends, I'll kick your ass!"_

_Naruto wasn't perturbed. "The fact that we're friends at all makes me question my sanity."_

_This was the guy that just brought an eroge game to where they worked. If a customer saw this….no, if Asagi saw it….oh boy._

_Hell wouldn't be far enough to get away from her fury._

"_Forget it." Not wanting to be associated with smut, Naruto tossed the game right to where the garbage can was._

_It never got there, though, as Ken awakened some hidden ability to intercept the flying game with perfect timing._

_Naruto was mildly impressed. "If you trained your body more, you could be a decent fighter."_

"_As if I would waste my time with such nonsense!"_

_Really now. That would be wasting his time? Did Naruto hear that right?_

"_Anyway, what did you just try to do!?" Ken looked offended. "This game is a collectible! It was a total hit when it came out! So many people would want to get their hands on it!"_

_Naruto doubted that very much. There was no way an eroge of all things could be valuable in any sense of the word._

"_I might be interested in some of the games you play, but not something like that!"_

_And what the hell was up with the title anyway!? __**Little Sister Paradise: I'll Squeeze It All Out**__!? That was guaranteed to give him nightmares!_

"_It's pure smut!"_

"_It's art!" Ken shot back. "Way better than those stupid magazines you keep! Like, who uses magazines anymore? It's the digital age! Get with the times!"_

_Yeah, well, he was more comfortable with magazines! He was at least familiar with them, unlike stupid computers!_

"_And besides, it will definitely help in your conquests!"_

_Conquests? That's what he was calling it now? This guy was insane, wasn't he?_

"_Don't give me that look, you bastard." Ken wasn't going to back down. He slid closer to the blond, his eyes glowing in desire. "Just hear me out. You have two younger girls who are totally interested in getting with you. Whom, if I may add, were also like your little sisters!"_

_Naruto __**really **__didn't like the way he phrased that. He was no pervert! He wasn't looking for that sort of stimulation at all!_

"_It's a scenario most men dream of!" Ken started to push the game back into Naruto's hands. "Choosing only one can be hard. You'll probably try to get both. I get it. The more the merrier!"_

_Never!_

"_This game will force you to make a choice, which will totally help you out when you decide in the real world too!"_

_Seriously? He was supposed to use an eroge as his guide in his romance crusade? The worst part was that Ken actually sounded convincing too!_

"_I really hate you."_

_Naruto wanted Ken to know that._

_Ken didn't seem to care. "Love you too, buddy. Just know that I also have others if you're looking for the harem ending."_

_There was no harem!_

"_Of course, this game can also help if you also want them to call you 'onii-chan' while they're riding you-"_

_Naruto punched him._

* * *

"Please forgive me, Naruto-sensei!"

It wasn't every day you saw a girl bowing repeatedly right outside your apartment. Seriously, Naruto was sure Yotsuba was going to break her neck from how fast she was moving.

This girl never did things halfheartedly at least.

"You're alone?"

Naruto was half-expecting to see the others with her, but nope. She was all by herself.

"W-Well, it's sort of a busy day. I guess." Yotsuba squirmed under his gaze. They hadn't talked since she and the others had entered his apartment without his permission. The aftermath of that whole situation was quite messy, from Yotsuba's point of view. Naruto had practically kicked them out and took their spare keys from them, saying they were going to have to earn that privilege again.

Nino had tried to complain, but Naruto hadn't bothered to listen. He just shut the door in their faces. Only Fuutarou had been invited since then, apparently.

Yotsuba felt _really _bad about the whole thing, which is why she was here to apologize in person. She couldn't handle the distance the blond had suddenly put between them in the last couple of days. It was pure torture!

"Busy day?" Naruto crossed his arms. It was a weekday, so the quints were probably dealing with school and Fuutarou. Speaking of which. "Shouldn't you be with Fuutarou right now? Are you skipping?"

That would be a shocker. Apart from Miku, Yotsuba was the only other one actively participating in the tutoring lessons. Or so Fuutarou told him.

"Uesugi-san suddenly cancelled on us!" Yotsuba exclaimed, looking baffled by this. "He wouldn't say anything, just that he needed to get some stuff ready. Miku tagged along with him. Nino and Itsuki were happy to leave, and Ichika never showed up. So….."

Goddammit Ichika. In some ways, she was being the most difficult one here.

Naruto sort of knew what Fuutarou was preparing for. This weekend. It was going to be a full on marathon of studying. Naruto might have been the one to suggest it, but Fuutarou was more than ready to jump on the idea it seemed. It was the perfect time to cram before their first major milestone of the school year.

There was also the festival on Sunday to consider.

Well, he could think more on that in the future. For now, he had other things to worry about.

Like Yotsuba, who still looked nervous just standing in front of him. The poor thing was close to having a panic attack, like he was going to tell her to go away at any moment now.

Wait, she had come here to apologize. Hadn't she?

Naruto almost forgot about that.

Sighing, he stepped to the side. "Come on in."

His invitation made her eyes lit up, and she happily skipped her way inside his apartment. Shaking his head, Naruto closed the door before following the girl to his tiny living room.

"I do accept your apology, by the way." Yotsuba stopped right before she plopped herself on the floor, digesting Naruto's response. "Just don't do something like that again."

Naruto was feeling much better about the whole thing now that he had been able to get his hands on Ken. Leaving him half-naked outside of his gym wasn't the nicest thing to do, but damn did it feel good.

'He's lucky he didn't get arrested.'

That would have just been icing on the cake.

"Alright!" With a cheer, Yotsuba flopped to the floor right next to the table, tossing her schoolbag to one of the corners of the room without a care in the world.

Naruto allowed himself to smile as he sat down on the other side of the table. There were several seconds of comfortable silence between them before Yotsuba broke it.

"So were those magazines really yours?"

"Let's not talk about that."

He didn't want to be embarrassed anymore!

Yotsuba laughed, although on the inside she was sort of embarrassed too. Her innocent image of the blond wasn't so innocent anymore.

Naruto had to sigh again.

"So you don't have anything else to do?"

Yotsuba shot him a pout. "Are you trying to kick me out? That's terrible of you, Naruto-sensei. I thought you loved having me over!"

Ah.

Scratching his neck, Naruto fumbled with his words. It was his turn to squirm.

"It's not that. You just sort of came at a bad time."

Bad time?

Sitting up, Yotsuba gave him a curious stare. "What are you talking about? Ah! Are you doing homework?"

She had homework too, but she could wait to do that till later.

Naruto wished it was something that simple.

"No. I'm….." God, this was hard to say. "I'm trying to prepare for my date with Nino tomorrow."

Yotsuba's eyes widened. She had totally forgotten about that! Tomorrow was going to be Friday, wasn't it? These last couple of days had totally gone by in a flash.

Naruto felt like it was the perfect time. After their date, they could join the others and focus on the studying marathon.

Win-win!

"A-Are you sure it's a good idea?" Yotsuba said this without even thinking about it. "I mean, you're not happy about what we did, right?"

It was sort of a lame excuse on her part. Yotsuba already knew how much this date meant to the both of them. That little squabble wasn't going to change that.

Right?

"We've already talked about that."

In fact, Nino had been calling him that same night. Nino was bold, if nothing else. She wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings between them.

Besides, Naruto had been more embarrassed than angry.

Yotsuba openly gaped. "What!? So I was overthinking the whole thing!?"

Something like that, yeah. To begin with, the "distance" that had suddenly appeared wasn't because of what they had done. But because Naruto had been too busy thinking about his coming date to do anything else.

The blond kept that last part to himself.

"Your apology is still appreciated."

It better be!

Yotsuba was still relieved to hear this. Well, sort of relieved. After all, Naruto and Nino were going on a date.

A date. An actual date.

Were they a couple? Or was that too soon? Ichika was still in the picture, so Yotsuba knew things couldn't be that straightforward.

This was all so confusing!

"S-So." Yotsuba didn't try to sound too eager as she said, "what do you have plan?"

Yeah, that was the hard part here.

"I…..don't know." Naruto was ashamed to admit this. "There is a lot I want to do, but at the same time I don't know what to decide on. It's my first date ever, and I want to do it right."

It was sort of like when you hyped something up too much, but the end product was underwhelming. Asagi had told him that it was his company that mattered most, and that that was what a girl looked for most. But still. He wanted to make sure he got it right.

It was going to be Nino's first date as well, after all.

"You can't do that, Naruto-sensei!" Yotsuba was suddenly fired up, enough to dismiss her mental hangups about this whole situation. "You have to be more assertive! Isn't that what you taught us? If you run into a wall, just smash your way through!"

She was maybe being a little bit _too _literal with that.

Naruto scratched his cheek. "I think this situation is more delicate than a fight."

"Love is like a war, right!?"

It was?

"I can't let things end like this!" What? "Alright, we're going to have a practice run today! That should help! As they say, practice makes perfect!"

Wasn't she treating this situation a little bit too lightheartedly? Or was he the idiot here?

Naruto wasn't able to figure this out as Yotsuba was already dragging him out of the apartment.

"Let's go, Naruto-sensei! We're going to make sure you have the perfect date ready!"

It was time for a training lesson!

* * *

Itsuki wanted to die right now.

"N-Nino, why are we here?"

She practically hissed at her sister as she was forced to stand next to her in one of the worst stores imaginable. Okay, she was over exaggerating, but the point remained. This wasn't the kind of place Itsuki would ever come to on her own.

Or ever.

Nino didn't bat an eye as she looked through the selection of lingerie in front of her. This was almost second nature to her, the total opposite of the blushing Itsuki.

"What? I was already planning on coming here. I can't change my plans now."

She was only lucky Fuutarou had decided to cancel their tutoring session for today. It gave her more time to be more mindful of her choice.

Itsuki still wasn't happy.

"Why are you doing this anyway? You can't actually be thinking of moving so quickly!"

It was a bad idea, and Itsuki wasn't going to stand by it.

"No, this isn't for tomorrow." Nino sounded very much amused by what Itsuki was implying. "I wouldn't exactly mind, but we both know Naruto-kun isn't that kind of guy."

Itsuki's eyebrow twitched at the first part. "You're always so stubborn about these things."

Nino wasn't ashamed. She had been holding these feelings for many years now.

"So." Itsuki tapped her foot impatiently. "If that's not your intention, then why are we coming here now?"

The timing was suspicious.

"I still need to be prepared."

Say what!?

Looking annoyed, Nino muttered, "Ichika already has a head start over me. I need to be ready."

Nino wasn't as shy about these things as Miku, Itsuki, and Yotsuba. That said, she was no Ichika either. Their dear sister was a fan of wearing very risqué lingerie. Not to show off, but just for herself. And from what they had seen in those magazines Naruto kept, his tastes aligned very closely with Ichika's.

In other words, Nino was looking to step up her game.

Itsuki still thought this whole thing was a stupid idea.

"You know Naruto won't care about that kind of stuff, right?"

Pfft, as if.

"He's totally a pervert."

Should she really be saying that about the guy she was head over heels for? Of course she should! It was the truth and nothing but the truth.

"You should probably get something too. Just in case. Your boring underwear won't get anyone's attention."

Itsuki was quite offended by this. "What I choose to wear has nothing to do with this!"

Nino struggled to keep her laughter in. "Hehe, just some friendly advice, sister."

Advice not needed!

Not wanting to dwell on such a topic, Itsuki quickly changed gears.

"What are you two planning on doing tomorrow? For your date I mean."

Itsuki wasn't sure who else knew about their coming date. The only reason she knew was because Nino had shared it with her. They were really close, after all.

Now, what did Itsuki think about this, you may be wondering. Well, she was happy of course! Seeing Nino so excited definitely made her feel excited too. Now, if only she didn't have to be here right now.

"I still don't know." Nino didn't sound upset by this. "He hasn't told me any of the specifics yet."

It made it all the more interesting, so Nino didn't mind.

"Still, it's got to be nerve-racking." Itsuki wasn't involved, and she already felt anxious!

Nino smiled. "I'm definitely nervous, but…..I guess my joy is stronger. I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time. I just never thought it would get here."

Really? Itsuki couldn't believe that. Nino wasn't shy about getting what she wanted. She and Ichika were very similar in that regard. It's why she sort of pitied Naruto for getting both of their attention when she thought about it from that perspective.

He was going to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Itsuki just hoped everything went well, for the three of them.

Their conversation was cut off by the sound of Nino's phone ringing. For a moment, Nino thought it was Naruto who was calling her. Maybe he wanted to ask her something about tomorrow?

Nino felt giddy thinking about it, but that feeling was all but lost when she saw who was actually calling her.

It was their father.

* * *

Training. Something Naruto was familiar with. Nay, something he _excelled _at. He learned best by doing. Listening and theories almost never got him anywhere. But being hands on? He could do that all day.

He had to be optimistic. He was sure this going to be a breeze.

It really wasn't.

"So, Naruto-sensei, what were you thinking of doing first on your date?"

Already a curveball!

Naruto and Yotsuba found themselves walking aimlessly down one of the many crowded streets of the city. It was always extra busy at this hour since it was also when students were commuting back home.

It made Naruto feel kind of oppressed, but maybe that was just because he really didn't know what he was doing.

"Uh. Well."

Crap, what was he supposed to say here? He didn't have time to think at all! He was just lucky he was able to grab his orange hoodie before Yotsuba dragged him out here.

Yotsuba tapped his cheek. "Bzzt, that's wrong! You have to be more confident!"

Kind of hard to be when he didn't even know what he was doing. But that's why they were out here, right? To figure this out.

"Come on. You said you had a lot of ideas, right?"

He did. But trying to think with all this pressure was kind of hard. Still, Naruto did his best to focus and not let his mind overthink this.

"How about a movie?"

Yotsuba hummed in consideration before shaking her head. "That's, like, totally basic! Are you sure you're taking this seriously? You gotta be more exciting! Sweep her off her feet! Catch her off guard!"

Grrr. She was really acting like she knew everything. Naruto was sure she was just as inexperienced as he was!

"Oh! Let's go rock climbing!" Yotsuba suggested with a wide grin.

Say what now?

"You know, you and Nino have different tastes, right?" Naruto calmly told her. "I'm pretty sure Nino wouldn't have as much as you doing something like that."

And besides, finding a place that had an indoor rock climbing gym on such a short notice would be a pain.

Yotsuba sulked. "I guess you're right. But you know you would love it!"

He totally would, but he was more concerned with giving Nino a great time.

"But you shouldn't be so focused on the activity itself, Naruto-sensei." Yotsuba smiled. "You just gotta be confident. I think that's what Nino would like best."

Wow. He was being given advice by someone younger than him, who also didn't have any experience.

This was totally embarrassing.

Deciding to put her advice to good use, Naruto grabbed Yotsuba's hand and led her along. He was more determined now, a total change from before. It caught Yotsuba off guard, but it also excited her.

"Alright, let's have some fun then."

The goal was simple now. Have confidence in himself. The rest would come naturally.

* * *

A bowling alley.

Naruto knew he wouldn't be going to such a place with Nino tomorrow, but that wasn't the point. He was going to pick up a different skill from this mock date: the ability to discern his partner's likes and dislikes.

Yotsuba wasn't Nino, but he was still going to try and make this a fun experience for her, if only to thank her for doing all of this. That's why he chose a compromise. It wasn't rock climbing, but bowling was still a physical activity. He was sure Yotsuba would love a place like this.

And was he right.

"Alright, another strike!"

As Yotsuba cheered, Naruto just shook his head in amusement. This was not surprising to him. The girl was a really good athlete. Not anywhere near his level, but that was an unfair comparison to make.

As she finished with her cheering, she turned to him with a peace sign. "It looks like we're tied, Naruto-sensei."

She might not be able to best him in a fight, or in most other sports, but she totally had a chance when it came to bowling. The thought of finally beating him just made the whole experience all that much exciting for her.

Which is exactly what Naruto was hoping for.

"We should totally have a wager on this."

Oh?

Naruto was curious. "What kind of wager?"

"The loser buys dinner!"

So it was like that.

Naruto didn't mind. The thought of making a high school girl buy him dinner wasn't all that grand, but he still wasn't going to lose on purpose. He was sure Yotsuba wouldn't like that either.

So their little face-off continued like this, and Naruto was sure it was going to be all wholesome and goody. But as they got closer to the end, Yotsuba started pulling out more extravagant moves every time it was her turn. That kind of thing was to be expected coming from her. The only problem was that she was wearing her school uniform skirt, and for some reason he was sure it was shorter than normal.

Or was that just his imagination?

Point is, every time she moved erratically the skirt would flutter upwards more and more. He was sure he almost caught sight of something white at one point.

'Why.'

Why was this happening. Why to him.

He just knew Ken was involved somehow.

It was only worse because Yotsuba was totally oblivious to all of this. She was definitely too innocent for her own good. It just made the possibility of seeing her panties all the more depressing. Like he was taking advantage of her good nature.

He finally decided to speak up when he realized he wasn't the only one who noticed. A group of guys on the next lane over were looking in their direction every time it was Yotsuba's turn. It didn't take a genius to realize what had caught their attention.

"I think we should end it here."

Yotsuba was not happy. "What? But we just got to the good part!"

True, and it was a really close game. But still.

Deciding to cut his losses, Naruto leaned in to whisper to the girl the real reason why he wanted to leave.

The way her face burnt up was one of the most adorable things he had ever seen.

* * *

Naruto had decided to pay for their dinner. He hadn't lost, but he thought it was a good way to make up for the embarrassment Yotsuba had suffered in the bowling alley.

The girl thought so too.

"You should have said something earlier!"

He really should have.

Even after they left the bowling alley, Yotsuba's face was still red.

"I can't believe I did something like that."

She pretty much flashed Naruto and a bunch of other guys at the same time! It was only worse because she knew she wasn't wearing the kind of "sexy" underwear that guys liked to see in a girl. Or so Ichika was always telling her.

"It wasn't _that _bad." Naruto tried to ease her fears. He didn't see anything that was too explicit. "You were having too much, so I didn't want to stop you."

Yotsuba pouted. With the way she was still blushing, it made her look more childish than usual. And more cute too.

"How can I trust you now? Maybe you just wanted to peek too? You need to pray for forgiveness, Naruto-sensei."

Was she trying to poke fun at him to make herself feel better? Well, two could play this game.

Shrugging, he replied, "Maybe I did. I mean, you are a beautiful girl. What kind of guy would pass on that opportunity?"

The way her face melted was enough to tell him that he had won this round. Her lowering her face to try and cover up the embarrassment she felt at his honest compliment was just a bonus.

Oh yeah, Yotsuba was definitely too innocent for her own good.

* * *

You might say it was too early to have dinner, but Naruto and Yotsuba didn't care. They both had big appetites and loved to eat, so they were going to eat now. Besides, they had earned it after going at it so hard at the bowling alley.

It was nothing fancy. It was a simple ramen shop you could probably find anywhere. Naruto still took the initiative again and decided this was where they were eating. He knew Yotsuba well and understood that she loved places like this. Just as he did.

He wasn't wrong. They were soon gulping down several bowls of ramen together. Itsuki had the bigger appetite, but Yotsuba could still hold her own. Like the others, her fast metabolism helped her stay fit. That, and all the sports she did.

"Mhmm. Yes, yes. Deciding where to go. And with delicious food." Yotsuba was nodding to herself as she finished with her third bowl. "You get high points for this, Naruto-sensei!"

Ha.

Flicking her on the forehead, Naruto rested his cheek on his open palm. Hearing her squeak from his flicking was music to his ears.

But no, he wasn't a sadist. Promise.

"Alright, when did you start getting so professional at dating?"

Well, _acting _professionally, but you get the point.

Ignoring the small amount of pain from having her forehead flicked, Yotsuba looked smug.

"Shi, shi, shi." The way she giggled sometimes was so weird but endearing at the same time. "You underestimate me, Naruto-sensei. I too am blossoming into my new form! We can't all stay the same forever."

So that's what it was.

"You took one of Nino's beauty magazines, didn't you?"

"E-Eh…."

Naruto was right on the money.

Yotsuba still wasn't happy that her secret was exposed like that. "How did you know!?"

"How many times do you think I've seen her with one of those?" Naruto was practically a second-hand expert by this point.

Yotsuba puffed out her cheeks. "So not fair."

It was meant to be?

Naruto decided to ignore that. "So tell me. What made you decide to read one of those things? I thought you weren't interested in romance."

"W-Who said I wasn't interested?" Yotsuba wasn't all that comfortable with this topic, but she still wanted to clarify a few things. "I'm just not as attractive as the others. And I don't have anyone in particular to look at."

Indeed. Her situation was _worse_. If she didn't want a relationship, that would be one thing. But she kind of did. That was her problem here.

"I'm pretty sure I told you this plenty of times already, not just today. But you know you're beautiful, right?"

"Y-You only say that to be nice…."

Yotsuba tried to play it off like she usually did, but there was no denying that her cheeks were red again. Naruto definitely sounded sincere, so it was hard for her to believe her own words.

"You really should be more confident in yourself, Yotsuba." Naruto reached over and placed a hand on her head. It was a simple gesture, and one that Yotsuba had received so many times in the past. It still made her feel safe and warm. "You know I would never lie about something like this. You have plenty of good qualities of your own, and you're just as beautiful as your sisters. They know that too. There's nothing for you to worry about."

Did it sound like he was only trying to be nice? Naruto didn't know, but he hoped at the very least Yotsuba took his words into consideration.

"Maybe I am." Yotsuba didn't sound pleased, though. She pushed his hand away. "But even if I am, I don't think it'll help me. Not in the past, and not now."

What did that mean?

"Tell me, Naruto-sensei." Yotsuba didn't give him to dwell on her previous words. She was facing him directly now. Maybe it was because there were few people in the ramen shop with them, but Yotsuba surprised him when she cupped his face with her hands. She did it as gently as he was when he placed his hand on her head.

"If I told you that I loved you too, that I maybe have feelings for you that have existed for a long time, what would you do?"

For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Naruto was sure his heart stopped beating for a second or two as well.

This couldn't be genuine, right? She had to be playing a prank on him, right!?

But the look on Yotsuba's face…..it showed nothing but sincerity. He could still see a red tint on her cheeks too, which only made the whole moment feel more real.

But was it really? Was this...genuine?

"Yotsuba-"

"Hehe, you were totally right, Naruto-sensei!" And just like that, as she pulled back, the pensive air around Yotsuba vanished, like it hadn't been there in the first place. Now, only the usual childish persona he was used to remained. "I totally have my good points for sure. I was able to fool you pretty easily just now." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm getting better at lying, don't you think?"

That just now….

It took Naruto a few moments to recover.

That was all just a prank?

Yotsuba found herself being flicked on the forehead again, and so she squeaked in pain yet again.

"That really hurts!" This time, she rubbed her forehead. "Ichika's right. You need to stop doing that! Bully!"

The bully here was her, scaring him like that. Yes, it was definitely scary. But whether it was intentional or not, Yotsuba just taught him another important lesson.

While his heart had definitely felt something during her "confession," it wasn't the same as with Nino or Ichika. He wasn't sure how to describe it, but he could tell that these two moments hadn't been the same for him.

It was a slow process, but at long last Naruto was beginning to understand his heart more.

This play date had been really helpful indeed.

* * *

**Some people may misunderstand the purpose of this chapter, but it did its job. But oh boy, I'm so excited for the next several chapters. So much love coming up.**

**The manga finally concluded. Was anyone all that surprised by the ending? I'll admit that I genuinely thought Miku was going to win for most of the story, until Yotsuba came out of nowhere. I do think Itsuki didn't shine as much as she could have, sadly. Oh well. At least now I can continue with the ending already confirmed. Less guess work for me.**

**Hooray.**

**Hope it was enjoyable.**

**Till next time.**


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